The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1918-10-27
LIEUT.. HORNBECK'S
DEATH CONFIRMED
Yopkers Family Gives Up
Hope After Receiving Many
Conflicting Reports.
O'TOOLE, HERO, Is BACK
Sergeant in Aiding Three Com
rades Was Severely Gassed
at Chateau Thierry.

Lieut. II. Z. Hornbeck OF 81 Avenue
street, Yonkers, whose possible fate has
been the subject OF several conflicting
reports. IL now believed by members Of
his family to have been killed in action.
According to the first report from the
Adjutant- Generals office In Washington
Lieut. Hornbeck was severely wounded
In action July IS. Later his mother.
Mrs. Agnes Hornbeck. received a letter
from the Captain of her sons company
In the Ninth Infantry saying the ofiIcer
had been missing since the engagement
on July 20.
In an effort TO solve the mystery the
Lieutenant's sister then wrote to q fell
low officer whom Lieut.. Hornbeck had
known at Plattsburg and in France and
who had returned to this country to
train troops In cantonments. In HE re-
ply the fellow officer declared that Lieut..
Hornbeok had been killed in the battle
OF Chateau Thierry. Mrs. Hornbeck be-
lieves this information Ia authentic. al
though II has not been confirmed In
Washington.
Sergeant Raymond J. Horton. Jr. who
ZIP to the time he entered the service in
September, 1917, was employed as IL
brarian Of the New York County Law.
yers Association, has been severely
wounded In action, according to word
received by his mother. Horton IL %
years old He sailed for France with
Company X, S07th Infantry. His brother
is Liout. John G. Horton OF tho Steve
dore Regiment
Brooklyn Athlete Among the Lost.
who was killed September rs. lived with
hta uin Mpo I Pink NJ fA1 Win.
throp street, Brooklyn. Before enlisting
at Fort Slocum he had achieved a rspu-
tation as a basketball player. He was
sent to Fort Houston, Texas. to train
ana started from there for overseas duty.
Sergeant Thomas z. O'Tooie Of Bat
terry +. 306th Field Artillery. was gassed
In action in the big fight at Chateau
Thierry. He is convalescinC In the
Staten Island Hospital where he told his
story yesterday to his sister, Mrs. Mamie
Bannon OF 272 st. Marks avenue, Brook
lyn.
For eight days I had been in the
trenches without much sleep" he said
| The Germans were giving US some he'll.
ish fire, and three Of my men called for
help. Tho air was sizzling with gas
but TO assist them / had TO remove my
gas mask They were in hole, and a
Hun shell. exploding near them. had
taken two legs of one, a leg and foo,
of another and leg of the third.
"Some one shouted to me not to take
of my gas mask, but ! had to in order
to see the fellows, 1t was so dark.
bandaged them UP and kept them from
going west l believe. And was feel
| ing bully. ! helped them badli TO a
| first aid station.
About six hours later began to fee
III. Then in another hour I was blind
| For four days 1 couldn't see a thing
Then gradually the sight in one eye
came back and now | can see quite well
/ from one eye"
! Sergeant o'Toole sailed for France
last April. At the time he entered the
service he was an assistant manager In
the construction department OF tht
Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Com.
pany.
Lieut.. Tolman Douglas Wheeler. who
! died from wounds received in action, wal
, the son of Harry Robert Wheeler. a oivi
I engineer. with offices at II Batter,
place Lieut.. Wheeler was 2b years old
He was n graduate or Brooklyn Poly
, technic Institute and Harvard Univer
I sits. After receiving his commission a
the first Plattsburg Officers Training
/ Camp he was assigned TO the aolst En-
| gineers. He was later promoted to /;
! First L!eutenancy and transferred TO thi
! Second United States Cavalry. He wa
wounded in an engagement near Soisson
on September and died four days late
| In Paris hospital.
| Preferred Death to Prison.
Sergeant Edward Francis Walsh o
| Company A. 30sth Infantry, preferre,
death to being taken prisoner when h,
and several other men Of his comma n,
we're surrounded by the Germans In tn
Argonne Forest on September rs, ac
sording to word received by his mother
Mrs. Susan Walsh of sol West 1871
street. On the day that he met hi
death Sergeant Walsh had been recon-
mended for Lieutenancy as a rewar,
for bravery on the field of battle.
Private Walter ]. Bonk. despatch
| rider on Major-Gen. Organs stan. wal
| killed In action on September ~. ne
| c0rding TO word received by his grand
father, BFyan Murray of Glen Cove
l.. l. Bonk was a champion cancels
and held the cup Of the American Ca
noels,s Association for three years, Hi
father Is Capt. J. A. Bonk OF Engln,
Company 40, Manhattan.
Private Joseph J. Lneffler Of Compan!
| X, 305th Infantry, killed In action, wal