Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-08-20
MISS ANNIE f.. WILKINS.
Was Held In High Esteem by People
OF Adopted Home.

many Courier readers who had
known Miss Annie +. Williams as a
young lady in Walhalla some years
ago. We quote:
Miss 4. f.. Williams Killed by Train.
Thursday afternoon Of last week
Miss Annie T.. Williams and little
nephew, Master BARLEY Corley, sis
ter-in-law and son Of BARLEY Corley,
OF the Commercial with Mrs. j. l..
Kelley, left Gainesville for Swan
nanoa, n. c., to spend the summer, as
had been" their custom for several
years.
Shortly before noon Saturday the
following telegram, like fash Of
lightning from clear sky, was re-
ceived:
"Swannanoa, n. c., July IL, 1913.
BARLEY Corley, Leesburg, Fla:
Miss Annie Williams was killed by
train on trestle this morning. Will
leave here at 30 this p. m. if possi-
ble.-Mrs. Kelley"
The details of the horrible tragedy
are described i'm the following
from the Gainesville Sun, except that
whatever struck her caught in her
hair and swung and threw her to the
opposite Of the cmbankmcnt. Her
hat fell off about half way, the hat
pin being bent about the shape Of a
hairpin. She apparently fell to her
knees as she jumped from the rail
l.
ankle, which had given her consider
able trouble. The Sun says;
"The remains Of Miss Annie. Will
liams, who for ten years or more
made her home in Gainesville with
DR.. and Mrs. J. l.. Kelley. and who
met a tragic death near Swannanoa,
n. c., last Saturday morning, passed
through this city Sunday noon via
the Atlantic Coast Line. Mrs. Kelley,
who left Gainesville last Thursday
happy in the thought that their out
ing at Swannanoa would be as pleas
ant as those of previous ears, ac-
companied the remains to this city,
but stopped here, the strain over los
ing one whom she so highly esteem
ed being so great as to make 1t abso-
lutely necessary that she have rest.
Miss Williams, it will be remem-
bered, left Gainesville on Thursday
Of last week IN "nmnarv with her
nephew Master G..t G.. .'.y. ns1D
she #.I rragiug.. raised from. he
time Of his mothers death few days
following HE birth, and Mrs J..I.
Kettle. They stopped ir A .N9villo ON
FRIDAY night, going to Swannanoa
on an early train Saturday morning.
Accompanying them was Mrs. Kel-
leys sister, Mrs. Fannie Cheatham,
Of Sandersville, Ga. They had rented
cottage about a quarter Of a mile
from the station, and after having
attended to their shopping duties
preparatory to the first days house
keeping, the party started for the
cottage. The wagon road runs on the
left side Of the Southern railway
tracks for some distance from the
station, then crosses the railroad just
before trestle is reached The tres
tie is only about sixty feet long. Miss
Williams, 1t seems, was some dist
ance ahead of Mrs. Kelley and sis
ter, and Master Corley and other
members of the party were ahead of
Miss Williams, having reached the
cottage. Miss Williams had walked
almost across the trestle when the
ladies behind saw a train approach
ing at a high rate of speed. They
shouted to Miss Williams to get off
the trestle. This she did but Just as
she stepped down the embankment
the train reached the trestle, and she
either Slipped and was thrown back
ward, or the suction OF the fast-mov-
ing train drew her toward it. At any
rate, some part Of the locomotive
the step on the side Of the pilot, it is
thOught-struck Miss Williams head
The lady was hurled almost the dist
ance Of the trestle, falling in a heap
against the opposite embankment
The engineer Of an engine which was
standing on a sidetrack nearby wit
messed the tragedy, and jumping from
his engine, hurried to where Miss
Williams body lay in the under
brush. 1t was too late to do any
thing, her back having been broken.
The anguish of the ladies who also
witnessed the tragedy from across
the trestle cannot be imagined when
the engineer impaired the sad news