Smyrna times., 1882-10-11
Death Of Horace SDl'u-


A Telephone announcement from
Clayton at II o'clock on Thursday that
Horace Spruancc had been suddenly
killed by the cars, shocked this com
munity as we have never seen it shock
ed by Il similar event. The news ran
from house to house almost with the
speed of electricity, and people stood
with blanched faces as they told or
inquired the incidents of the terrible
dispensation The sudden transition
from life to death, the work of Il
moment, is always shocking, but when
it is an esteemed citizen thus suddenly
removed from us, it comes with over
whelming force and chills the very life
current. His friends and neighbOrs, Il
number of whom were Mt and about
the depot, stood aghast as they looked
at the PROSTATE form, and strong men
wept like children. There is always
an elOquence in tears, but when they
come from eyes not accustomed to
weep, they demonstrate a feeling that
reaches down to the fountains of the
soul
Mr.. Spruance went from his resi-
dence near by, to Clayton that morning
on business, and was standing by the
track of the Delaware road talking
with n gentleman, when seeing the south
bound train coming he stepped from
! the track and in crossing the parallel
track a few feet distant, he was struck
by the tender of the train of the Kent
county Md. road, knocked down and
instantly killed.
The force of the collision threw the
tender off the track and it ran into a
high platform between the two tracks,
which came near adding to the fearful
calamity by knocking the Delaware
train off its track, but the latter was
slowing up Mt the time, and a sudden
application of the air brakes saved any
damage being done except several
holes in the cars and the crushing of the
steps leading thereto. The tender was
considerably damaged by the collision
and had to go to the shop for repairs
the ChestertOWn train being unable tC
make a trip until night. Coroner
Jackson held an inquest, the jury re
turning a verdict in accordance will
the facts above stated and eXoneratins
the railroad from all blame. Mr.
Spruance was slightly deaf i'll one ca
and it is thought did not hear thu
Kent engine which was slowly backing
down and struck him II stunning blow
unnOticed.
= Mr.. Spruance was the second son o
Hon. Presley Spruance, United State
, Senator from Delaware from 1S47 t
. 1858, and his mother was Miss SaraI
r Corbit, sister of the late Daniel COrbi
4 of Odessa. He married Miss Amand
McCracken in the year 1867 who wit
1 her five children mOurns the severanc
!, of the most tender ties of affection.
+ Mr. Spruance, though he had bee
bound down by the cares of busines:
+ was well and largely known, but hi
2. sincerest mOurners outside of his Ow
S family were those about him who ha
i felt the benefcence of his ever Ope
hand. No words could better shO
/, his kindliness of nature than the e!
a preston so often used that he had
Z. heart as big as house." lie was
4, manly man; not only devoid of a
% speciOusness and deception, and hone
4. as the phrase goes, but he had thi
higher type of the true man that pr
vented him from knowingly doing al
: one an injustice. If it appeared to hi
that at any time by word or deed
h had done anyone wrong, he new
k rested until he had sought the indivi
S, ual out and corrected it. He faI
e, early, but he had garnered up, ere
~ fell, in the memories of his friends al
ut neighbors that best of epitaphs-
" was just, he was generous, he W
II. honorable.
n The funeral which occurred
a Monday, was one of the largest tn
ty has ever been witnessed in this col
he munity. There were about hundr
elk carriages in the procession and thron
o. of the town people walked down
ng the Presbyterian Cemetery, the pla
ip of interment, the concOurse at t
nd grave numbering about one thousa
a persons. The services at the hot
re were conducted by Rev. J. II. Umst
,es pastor of the Presbyterian church
* which deceased was a: member, a
m Rev. DIR. SpOttswood of New Cast
on The pall-bearers were: II. G.. DOugla
n? ID. ]. Cummins, John Anthony, 10
eet NJ. Voshell, A. l.. Hudson, George
an Massey, Esq, John f. Collins and
ng F. Wilds. The places of business
Commerce and Main streets, throu
INT which the procession passed W,
nd closed out of respect to the occasion