Obituaries - South Carolina - 1924 - Agnes Doney BaileyLittle Daughter of Sheriff Bailey Killed By An AutomobileKit Singleton Was Driving Car And Was Not Speeding
Beaufort was made sick at heart by one of the most horrible accidents
Wednesday afternoon that ever occurred in the place. Agnes Doney bailey,
aged 3 years, daughter of Sheriff and Mrs. J. H. Bailey, had gone to the
Court House with her father and had been playing on the green opposite the
Court House. She came across the green, probably to cross the street to the
Court House and it is thought she attempted to run across when a car driven
by Kit Singleton, colored, which was going East at about the rate of ten or
twelve miles an hour, struck her on the head with its right fender
supposedly killing her instantly. Only one person saw the accident, Mr.
John Harvey of this place, who was following Kit within a few yards in
another car.
The body was at once carried to the office of Dr. Elliott, but all
efforts to resusitate the little child were in vain. Kit was at once placed
in jail to await the verdict of the coroner's jury, which was empanelled and
sworn, but will hear evidence after the burial. Auditor J. G. Black will
probably be a witness, as his office window looks out upon the scene of the
tragedy and he saw part of the happenings.
The sympathy of the whole town goes out to the bereaved family. It has
saddened everybody and all feel a personal loss in the untimely death of the
promising child, beautiful in death and loved by all. Verdict of the jury
and additional details in the Gazette of next week.
Source:
Obituary in Beaufort Gazette May 1, 1924
The coroner's jury, impannelled and sworn by acting coroner Cory to hear
and determine the manner in which little Doney Agnes Bailey came to her
death on Wednesday, April 30th, met and heard the following evidence
concerning the same:
Dr. M.G. Elliott, sworn, says: I live in Beaufort; I am a practicing
physician. About 12:30, Mr. Bailey and several others brought a little
child in my office showing marks of an injury. Careful examination showed
that the child's heart was still beating, but no pulse was to be found. I
gave her a heart stimulant without effect. She died in about five minutes.
Further examination after death revealed an injury of the head indicating a
fracture of the forefront of the head or skull which was the immediate cause
of death. There were other slight bruises about and around the body.
John M. Harvey, being sworn says: I live in Beaufort, SC. On April
30th, 1924. I saw Doney Agnes Bailey between 12 and one o'clock. I was
coming from my farm. Just before I got to street coming by Mr. Legare's
store, I was on bay street I saw Kit Singleton car in front of me about a
hundred and fifty feet ahead of me, and just as he passed the gate coming
out of the Court House on bay street, I saw Mr. bailey's litle child run
from behind Mr. Bailey's car on the grass or bluffside. The car was infront
of me so I can't say how far from the front the child was but she started
across the road and I saw Kit's right-hand front wheel strike the child and
she bound up and fell. Mr. bailey's little boy ran out as like he was
trying to catch her, but he jumped back. Kit was driving slow and run on
about 30 or 40 feet and stopped on the left5-hand side of street. I passed
in between where the child fell and Kit, and told Kit I would go for the
doctor. I went to Dr. Elliott and he advised that we bring the child to him
and I turned back and met Mr. bailey and Mr. Black bringing the child. I
told them Dr. Elliott was in his office. Kit was not driving carelessly or
recklessly to my observation. I did not see Kit make any attempt to put on
brakes, I don't know if he did. Kit turned toward left slightly as he
struck the child. I did not see the children before the car struck. I
can't remember seeing the child before she started across the street. the
child was about twenty feet in front of Kit's car when I saw it as near as I
can judge. I could have stopped if I was driving as slow as Kit was. When
I first saw the child she was running like she was going acaross the street.
She was about 20 feet in front of Kit's car straight aheas as near a I can
tell.
Woodrow bailey, being sworn says: We children were playing back of
papas car in front of Court House and Doney started across the street to
papa and I tried to stop her but Kit's car struck her. I did all I could do
to stop her. I had to stand there and let her get hit. agter she got hit
I started to telll papa, but he was coming out to us. I am eleven years
old. Kit's car when it started to hit her, he turned a little bit to the
left. the lick when it hit her made the fuss. Kit never blow his horn or
put on the brakes. He never put it on or he would have stopped. I was
running after my sister when she went across the street. I tried to stop
her. She was running when she got struck. I don't think Kit saw her. She
was running when the struck her.
J. G. Black, being sworn says: I live in Beaufort, SC. I was in my
office today just after 12:30 whistle blow. Mr. bailey came up to the Court
House and parked his car in front of mine. He had three of his little
children with him. They went down the bluff and I saw Mr. Bailey come up
the bluff and turned around to tell them something, then he came into the
Court House. Just a few minutes after he came in, I saw a car passed going
down town and I looked up as I hear a tick like a car hit on the fender, and
I saw the child lying on the roadway as the car passed. I ran out and met
Mr. Bailey, as we passed by the clock we got to the child at the same time.
I told Mr. bailey I could drive them down town, byt Mr. Bailey said he would
drive. I held the child an d took it in the Doctors office. the distance
from Mr. Bailey's car straight ahead to where the child was struck, I
stepped it off and the distance was between 24 or 25 feet. I did not see
the child struck. the blood was between 24 or 25 feet ahead of Mr. Bailey's
car and about 4 feet from ht eside of the street, Kit was going slow and he
stopped in about 30 or 40 feet on his left. As Kit's Dodge the fenders are
loosed and might have made the noise. My impression is that the child ran
out right in front of sheriff's car. My car and the sheriff's car were
parked so that it was hard to see the children before they came out. the 24
feet from Mr. Bailey's car was where the child was laying. I did not see
the child until the car passed. I can't tell just how far it would fall
after being hit.
John M. Harvey, put back on stand says: That it did not look like the
body went ahead at all. It looks to me like it fell off to the right. I
could not tell exactly how far in front of Mr. Bailey's car the child was.
It looks to me like 8 or 10 feet.
After deliberation the jury found that the deceased came to her death
by being struck by a car driven by Kit Singleton, but made no
recommendations as to other procedures. At the time fo the verdict Kit was
still in custody.
The coroner's jury was composed of the following: L.M. Austin.
foreman, J.E. Kinghorn, L. J. Reid, Fred Hubbard, B. E. Ginn, W. Bowick, L.
Schoenberg, W. T. Johnson, S. Mixson, Sam Levin, B. O. Carden and L. L.
Harley.
Source:
Beaufort Gazette May 8, 1924, Front Page
C. H.(Kit) Singleton, whose car, driven by himself, on the 30th of
April struck and killed little Agnes Doia Bailey, was released on bond of
$1,000 Monday. This upon order from Judge J. Henry Johnson of the 14th
Judicial Curcuit. The bond is signed by C. H. Singleton, N. J. Kennedy and
C. H. Heyward.
Source:
Beaufort Gazette May 8, 1924, p. 1
The funeral services of little Agnes Donie Bailey, the three year old
daughter of Sheriff and Mrs. J. H. Bailey, who met death in such a tragic
manner on Wednestay afternoon April 30th, was held at the home of Mr. Bailey
on Carteret St., on Thursday last at 4:30 pm.
The home was crowded with loving and sympathising friends and relatives
and the services were most appropriately conducted by Revs A. D. Betts and
F. C. Helms. At the conclusion of the services at the home the little
broken, but still beautiful body, was laid to rest in the city cemetery,
covered by a wealth of flowers and watered by the tears of heart-broken
loved ones. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to the bereaved family in this
their saddest hour.
The pallbearers were Messrs. W. II Cory, J. G. Black, J. E. Gill and
Willie Morrall
Nearly the entire personnel of both city and county officials attended
the obsequies and each felt a personal loss in the tragic death of one so
young and beautiful.
Source:
Beaufort Gazette May 8, 1924, p. 8.
Kit Singleton, colored, who had the extreme misfortune to kill little
Donia Agnes Bailey several weeks ago on Bay street, near the court house,
was indicted for manslaughter and tried on Tuesday of this week. It will be
remembered that his automobile hit the little girl as she ran across the
street, causing death within a few minutes. The jury was out but a few
minutes and brought in a verdict of "Not Guilty." The general public had
long been convinced it was an accidental mishap, though one of greatest
distress to the family of the little girl. Attorney Gooding of Hampton
represented Kit at the trial.
Source:
Beaufort Gazette June 26, 1924, p. 1
Sunday afternoon at Burton occurred an automobile collision a little
out of the ordinary. Frank Silcox of Beaufort was driving a new Ford car
and Kit Singleton was driving his heavy bus. The street or road at Burton
where they met was narrow because of parked cars. Both Kit and Silcox
attempted to run the narrows at the same time, going in opposite directions,
and the usual result followed, except that Kit's car was not hurt much. The
Ford was badly wrecked and now both drivers are sure two trains cannot pass
each other on a single track.
Source:
Beaufort Gazette June 26, 1924, p. 1
Submitted by:
Richard L. Bailey
baileyrl@spawar.navy.mil
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