The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-03-21
Chester Earl Magoon, Who
Enlisted Last August, Died
Of Pneumonia To-day
FATHER, DIR, MAGOON,
ON WAY TO HOSPITAL
Young Man Was Serving on
the Battleship
Kansas

Barre's first contribution to the wal
casualties of the United States forces
so far as known, is Chester Earl Magoon
son of DR.. and Mrs. c. II. Magoon, a sea.
man, second class, on the battlcship Kan.
sas, who died at Portsmouth,, Va, at
9;35 this forenoon of pneumonia, accord
ing TO a telegram received at II o'clock
by the boys mother DR. Magoon was
on his way TO the bedside of his son, hav-
ing started from Barre early yesterday
morning after receiving second tele-
gram in two days, announcing the criti-
cal illness of the young seaman.
The first telegram came on Monday,
telling of the illness of Seaman Magoon
and the second OH Tuesday told of a
more serious turn to the illness, where
upon DIR. Magoon decided to start at
once for Virginia On receiving the tele-
gram to-day Mrs. Magoon became we'll
nigh prostrated and she is being cared
for by friends who went to her home at
72 North Main street.
The message bearing the sad intelli-
gence was from l.. w. Sprattling, COM
manding officer, and it said: Regret to
inform you that Chester Earl Magoon,
seaman second class, u. S. navy, died at
9:35 this morning. Unless you wish the
body sent home he will be buried at this
hospital with military honors. All eX
penses OF preparation and transportation
viii be prepaid by the government"
The decision was at once made to have
the body brought to Barre. and it is
probable that DIR. Magoon will complete
the arrangements when he arrives at
Portsmouth and will accompany the re-
mains home.
Chester Earl AIagoon would have been
20 years of age next month. He was
born in Manchester, n H., and when he |
was quite young he came with his par
ents to Topsham, where they lived for
some time. Then the family moved to |
East Barre and after residing there for |
five years they moved to Barre, where |
DR.. Magoon is engaged as an optometrist. |
They had resided for two years in this
,ity.
The son. Earl, attended the public |
schools, having entered Spaulding high |
school, where he remained for year.
Then he went TO st. Johnsbury, where
10 was employed in the Fairbanks scale
factory until he received an injury which |
ncapacitated him for work for some
ime. He decided TO return home to re-
'uperate and while he was here last sum
ner the patriotic fever that stirred so
many young men at the outbreak Of the
var with Germany to give their services
o their country became so strong that
lie finally gained the consent of his par
nts to enlist. They were very reluctant
o have the boy enter the service so
-oung.
On applying at the naval recruiting
fficc in Montpelier Earl passed the ex
in very satisfactory man
er and was accepted by the government,
hat was in August. The young appren
ice seaman soon left for the training
chool and was for a time located at the
chool in Norfolk, Va. Later he was ,
laced on the battleship Kansas and
lille on that slip made several trips to ,
uba and other places on this side of the ,
tlantic He contracted pneumonia while
l the home port and was taken to the ,
avail hospital at Portsmouth, Va, where
is death occurred. =
Seaman Magoon had large number of
lends in Barre and vicinity and one and
L will be very sorry indeed to hear of
is death He was a young man of good
abits and was of very likeable dis 7
osition. 1t is probable that some form
military funeral will be held in Barre.
Besides his parents, the young man
ayes two sisters and two brothers, as a
slows: Mrs Edward Strobridge and g
rs Claude Summers, both of Barnet, l
orrest Magoon of Lebanon, n. H., and i
ne Magoon of st. Johnsbury. An aunt, a
rs Fred Rowe, lives in Waits River. =