Scott Hamilton

HAMILTON, CLANEY, MILLER

Posted By: Sharon Elijah (email)
Date: 12/28/2019 at 09:43:34

29 September 1917 - The Clinton Advertiser page 1

TRAIN HITS AN AUTO AT STANWOOD, THREE DIE
(Special to the ADVERTISER)
Stanwood, Ia., Sept. 29--Train No. 18 of the Chicago & Northwestern crashed into an automobile near this city at 3:30 o'clock Friday afternoon, and the three occupants of the car were almost instantly killed. The dead: SCOTT HAMILTON, of Stanwood; MISS FLORENCE GIBSON, of Elvira; MISS GRACE REED, of Elvira.

The mangled bodies of the victims were carried more than a block by the train before the engineer could bring it to a stop. Today the remains of the two Elvira girls were sent to their homes in that town.

The train struck the automobile, which was driving by Mr. Hamilton, at a crossing on the edge of town. Miss Gibson was a niece of Mr. Hamilton, while Grace Reed was a cousin. It is believed that the engine of the automobile stopped while the car was in the center of the track, and before any of the victims could get out of the car, the fatal crash occurred.

Miss Gibson and Miss Reed were popular young Elvira ladies. They had come to Stanwood to attend a meeting of the Women's Missionary Society of the LeClaire Presbytery, both having been active church workers.

Mr. Hamilton had taken them out into the country to call on relatives and when they were returning to Stanwood the triple tragedy took place. The auto, smashed to pieces, was carried several rods in front of the train.

The train was stopped not far from the rear of the Hamilton home, and a porter rushed to the back door of the residence. Mrs. Hamilton answered his summons, and learned that there had been an accident. The porter asked her for some sheets to cover up the bodies beside the tracks. Mrs. Hamilton quickly got the sheets and started at once for the scene of the accident. She was nearly prostrated to find that the victims were her own husband and his two relatives.

Mr. Hamilton was a retired farmer, and was a highly respected and well known citizen of Stanwood. He was an elder in the United Presbyterian church, and was active in church work, and always forward in the interest of modern reform. His tragical death is mourned by hundreds in and about Stanwood. Surviving him are his wife, a son Harry Hamilton, and three daughters, Mrs. Elsie Claney, Mrs. Bessie Miller and Miss Dorothy Hamilton.

1 October 1917 - The Clinton Advertiser page 3

The funeral of the three victims of the Stanwood auto accident, Scott Hamilton, Miss Florence Gibson and Miss Grace Reed, was held this afternoon at 3 o'clock at the Elvira United Presbyterian church, of which the two girls were members. Mr. Hamilton had been a former member of the church and his remains were brought from Stanwood for burial in the Elvira cemetery.

The church being too small for the large number of friends of the three victims, the seats were removed to the outdoors, and open air services were held on the church lawn. The present pastor, Rev. Bell, and the former pastors, Rev. Leeper of Morning Sun, Iowa, and Rev. Walter Davidson, of South Bend, Neb., preached the services over the three bodies.