Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1918-05-17
AMERICAN GIRLS
DEATHIN AIR RAID
Y. nj. c. A. Worker Tells of the
killing of Win0na Martin in
Red Cross Hospital and of
the Funeral in Paris.

Tho Now York World had the fol-
lowing in II recent issue:
The following letter from Carl Hol-
lidny to the War Work Council of
the \. Nj. G. a., describing the death
from German mir bomb of Miss
| Wmona Martin, of Rockville Centre.
l.. :, and her funeral, was made public
here yesterday:
Miss Martin, librarian, was tho
lirst secretary of the Y. M. C. A. kill
| cd. Tho bomb that took her life killed
iour other women, who, like herself,
were pntients in Paris hospital. The
letter reads:
AN hour ago helped to bear into
the American church in Paris the
collin containing the body of tho first
Y. NJ. G. a. Secretary killed by an net
of war md the first Acmrcnn victim
OF II Paris mir raid. Strangely enough
that first victim, that first Y. M. C.
~. Secretary to be slaughtered WIS
II woman. Winona Martin of Rockville
Centre, Long Island. And yet is it
strange? Could the Hun have desired
II better rovengo upon America than
the death of this quiet young woman
who had come to offer cheer and whnt
aid II womnn's hnnd and voice coulo
give TO our soldiers?
Red Cross Hospital n Mark
Toward midnight on Monday. the
ilth of March, the Germans came ov-
or the city and for one vivid hour Mt
tempted to fill heaven and earth with
terror One Of their marks w:s the
Red Cross Hospital, where Wucnn
Martin, stricken with illness, was ly-
ing, a roar of bursting shell, n red
angry flash, n crumbling of walls; a
strange silcnco, md Winonn Martin
ana four other women had givon their
lives ns further sacrifice To German
lrightfulacss.
There Is Significance in this girls
death. Docs it not illustrate the nd
vacnig tide of woman's influence
For here was one, II member Of n
mems organization, willing to under
go II mans hardship and privations.
prepared to march and lnbor with the
men, and mt length dying soldiers
death. And especially does il seem 10
show the growing seriousness of the
American women toward this vast
conflict that this quiet student, n II.
brarian by profession, should leave
her books to cross the ocean and helm
the people of another nation throw
off the burden of brute tyranny.
"Is it not another and striking
evidence Of the growth Of universal
brotherhood in these latter days.
Words Needless Then.
ut was strangely solem meeting
in that church, so far away from
America-the group OF Y. M. C. A.
Secretaries in their army garb, in the
high pulpit the clergyman, nlso in
uniform, the coffin covered
with tho fng OF America and heaped
with the flowers of France. There
was no sermon. Her sacrifice spoke
more eloqucntly than any words.
IL have read her record card Mt the
Y. M. G. A. headquarters in Paris.
On it, in her own handwriting, nre
the words, For the duration Of the
war and longer If required Longer
than the duration of the war will lin
ger the memory of this girl, the first
American woman in Paris to lay down
her life for this struggle against the
wrong and the first martyr among
those wearers of the red triangle who
may be found toiling in every camp
and trench in France"