News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1906-03-21
A SH0CKlNG ACCIDENT
Ernest J. Billings Met Death in His Mill at
BeIvidere Last Saturday Morning


BeIvidere Last Saturday Morning
The news of the sudden death by
accident OF Ernest j. Billings, which
took place at his mill In Belvidert
last Saturday morning, cast gloon
over the entire community and many
could not believe the fact until they
were substantiated beyond question
The accident happened at about TAG
in the morning. Mr.. Billings had bid
his wife good bye az she bad started
for a visit to Mr.. and Mrs. Harold
Billings in Stowe, and was superln.
tending the beginning of the days
work, when it was noticed that there
Was some difficulty with.the machin.
cry operating the drag saw, used
for saving clap-boards and went be.
low to locate the trouble. The saw
is operated from below and is con.
nected with a shaft, on the end OF
which is a wheel, beted from the
floor above. Ernest was standing
bent over, inspecting the shaft, when
a young man employed in the mill
not knowing that anyone was below,
shifted the belt to the tight pulley,
starting the machinery, which caught
the unfortunate mans head between
the shaft and post, and crushed
the lower part of the skull, which
caused death in a very few minutes.
Mrs. Billings was intercepted by tele-
phone at Watervile and doctors G
B. Maurice of Waterville and G. l..
Bates OF this place were summoned
Mr.. and Mrs. j. j. Billings started
for Waterville as soon as they were
notified of the accident and did not
learn of his death until they were
nearly there.
The remains were brought here
Monday and the funeral was held
from the home of Mr.. and Mrs. J. j.
Billings, this afternoon at two o'clock,
Rev. C. G. st. Clare of the Cong'l
church officiati The remains were
placed in the vault and will be inter-
red in Pleasant View metery in the
spring. The funeral was largely at
tended and the foral tribute was
very large, many beautiful flowers
having been sent from friends in
other parts of the state. A delega-
tion from Waterville lodge K. of P.
of which order he was a member, was
present.
The deceased was the Oldest of a
family of three children, of MIR. aud
Mrs. j. j. Billings. He was born in
the town of Faystop, VT, July is.
1871. He moved to this town with
his parents in August 1882, the fam
lily settling III f1nar ls suC1n as
the Sterling District, where j. j. Bill
lings conducted a mill for many years,
moving to this village in 1898
Ernest was student at Peoples
Academy for several years and in
1891 was graduated from Montpe-
lier Seminary. He bagan at once
upon the duties OF what promised to
be an unusually active business ca
reer, being identified with his father
in the Sterling mill until the business
was closed out there. In the fall OF
1901 he went to Belvidere to take
charge of the new mill, which had
been erected by the Billings Lumber
Company and which he had since con-
Quoted very successfully.
He WAS united in marriage on Sept.
20, 1897, to Miss May Jackman OF
Nashua, N. H., whom he became &C
quainted with when in school at
Montpelier. To their union has been
born tour children, Sumner Lund,
Raymond Macoy, Florence, and Regi-
Dald Jackman, who is the youngest
and only four months old, all of
whom, with the mother, survive him.
He is also survived by father and
mother and brother, Harold, in the
lumber business in Stowe, and sister,
Mrs. Charles W. Mcfarland of this
place.
The deceased was yonng man OF
fine abilities and had every prospect
for prosperous and useful life and
his untlmely death is a direct loss to
Lamoille County, both from a busi-
ness and social standpoint. He
possessed a happy disposition and
made many friends. The sympathy
of the entire community goes out to
the bereaved family, in their great
bereavement.