The Palatka news and advertiser., 1915-08-13
TRAGIC DEATH OF
LITTLE PRICE BABY
Causes Genuine Mourning
in at Least Three
Communities
And Excites the Deepest Sympathy Of
all to Whom the Story of the
Tragedy Comes.

Little Charlotte Lillian, the 16-
months old daughter of Mr.. and Mrs.
C. H. Price, was killed instantly by
being run over by an automobile at
Blitchton last Tuesday afternoon.
The little body arrived home with
tie stricken parents Wednesday even
ing, and the funeral was held Thurs
day morning at the home of Mrs. c. J..
O'Haver on Laurel street. The ser
vice was conducted by Rev. P. @. Ca
son, assisted by Rev W. M. Poage.
The interment was in West View GEM
etery. There was large attendance
of sympathizing friends and relatives,
ard many beautiful floral offerings at
tested the deep sympathy which is
everywhere apparent in this city, the
home of the stricken parents.
The story of the tragic death of this
sweet little child The News is going
to copy from the Ocala' Star of We'd
nesday evening, as follows:
Tuesday afternoon about a o'clock
there happened one of those tragedies
that in their suddenness and absolute
uneXpectedness and their overwheln-
ing horror, PROSTATE all concerned.
Mrs. Charles Henry Price of Palat-
ka, with her little daughter, Charlotte
Lillian, fifteen months of age, were
visiting the family of DR.. and Mrs. S.
H. Bitch at Blitchton. They had been
guests of the family for two weeks
and the winsome little girl had be-
come the pet of the household, below,
ed by all. Especially attached to each
other were she and Mr.. Lands Bitch,
DR. and Mrs. Blitch's eldest son. Baby
Charlotte was just learning to walk,
and to keep her from going out of the
yard into the public road the family
was always particular to keep the
front gate closed.
Shortly before A o'clock Yesterday
afternoon, Mr.. Lands Bitch went for
the car, which was in the garage. The
child followed him to the gate. He
took her up, kissed her, placed her on
the ground and told her to run back to
the house. Closing the gate after the
child, he went on to the garage.
The garage is situated more than
two hundred yards from the front
gate. There is no sidewalk and the
way is deep sand. Going there one
turns two corners, for it is at the
back of the block on which the resi-
dence is built. One would never
dream that the baby, who could
scarcely walk, would follow that long
distance, through such sand, even
had she been outside the gate.
Mr.. Bitch must have been engag-
ed in some occupation about the front
of the car that required several min
utes. He cranked the machine and
backed it out of the garage. His hor-
ror can only be imagined, when he
: saw in front of the car, which had
just passed over the little body with
both wheels, the child-his playmate
of a few minutes before He could
not realize it, nor what had been
done. Leaping out he gathered the
little form into his arms and called
to his mother, taking the little one
towards the house as he called. His
sister, Miss Legie, and his mother
sarted to him, his sister afterwards
stating that she knew by his voice that
something terrible had happened.
The mother of the child, and Mr.
: Blitch's mother and sister rushed 10
meet him. 1t was all too plain that
the baby was beyond help, that
death must have been instantaneous.
Indeed, she never cried out, not even
d dying gasp was heard by Mr..
Bitch, as the heavy wheels crushed
her little head into the sand.
Mr.. Bitch collapsed and went into
convulsions. The child's mother was
Frustrated. Mrs. Bitch telephoned
to Ocala for a physician, and one, a
life long friend of the family, respond
ed, driving out very quickly in his au-
tomobile, but he could only lend his
aid to the stricken ones.
Mr.. Price was telephoned for, and
with Mrs. Prices mother, Mrs. C.. J.
O'Haver, started Immediately for
Blitchton in an automobile, arriving
there in the evening.
Mrs. Price was formerly Miss Lily
O'Haver of Palatka and attended the
Ocala High school for a number of
years before her marriage. She and
Miss Legie Bitch became very warm
friends and have often visited each
other both before and since her mar
riage.
The distressing accident has east a
gloom over the entire Blitchton Sec
ito ,and among the many friends of
the two families in Ocala, the deep
est sympathy goes out to both the
Price and the Bitch families.
Mr. Bitch is suffering sthe most
acute mental agony, and has complete
ly broken down and refuses to be COM
forted.
Those who know the young man
best, will know how utterly impossi-
BILE it would be for this accident to
happen through any carelessness on
his part There is no more kindly,
careful or gentlemanly young man in
the whole country. Consideration for
the rights and feelings of others is
first nature with him. To his gentle,
christian heart this calamity comes as
something too utterly crushing. 1t is
. n ore than he can bear and his condi-
, tion is pitiful and his grief is second
Only to that of the mother end father
of the child.
The cuddlesome winter girl dislikes
the hot weather.
Did you ever get so lonesome that
you wanted to howl like a dog?