Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-11
MOTHER CLASPS
DYING HERO SON
John Updike, of Philadel-
phia, Returned Suffer-
ing With Pneumonia
16 CASUALTIES FOR CITY
Twenty.six for State-Parents
Accept Final Report Ed
ward Yeasley Is Dead

/ Private John Updike. plucky little
Germantown soldier who was rejected
by army doctors FIVE times because of
small stature, and who finally succeeded
in enlisting and went overseas, died
of pneumonia two days after he returned
to this country last week.
He contracted pneumonia, It is
thought, from exposure while on duty
overseas.
When his unit was preparing to sail
Private Updike told his mother not to
worry about him, for" he said, II will
surely come back" He arrived with
a contingent of wounded at Newport
News last Thursday and was at once
sent to the debarkation hospital at Camp
Stuart. He died two days later in the
arms of his mother, who had gone to
camp when notified Of his sickness.
weighed Only 10
Private Updike was twenty-seven
years old. He was a member of the
Patriotic order Sons of America. on
his seventh application he was admitted
to the army in August, 1911 He trained
at Fort Slocum and sailed for France.
He was feet inches tall and weighed
only 110 pounds.
The hero's parents live at $50 Penn
street, Germantown. A twin brother
of the dead soldier. Harry H. Updike
served during the war in Company NJ.
Eighth Artillery He is now stationed
at Rouilosa, Tex. A son-in-law of the
hero's mother. James II. Beaver. Quar-
termaster Company, is now at Camp
Meade. Mr.. Updike was buried in the
William Penn Cemtery, Bustleton.
Final Death Report
Heading the honor roll for the city
and nearby points today, and classified
as killed in action, appears the name Of
Private Edward Yearsly, who, though
unofficially reported dead several times.
was not given up by his parents until
they received the War Department no
tice of his death last week.
Private Yearsly was the son of Mr.
and Mrs. Elmer +. Yearsly, 5000 Bayn-
ton street, and previous. to entering the
service had made his home with them.
, He was a member of Company l., 1O9th
Infantry, and formerly of the old First
Regiment, n. @. p.
He was twenty-rour years old. The
last War Department message to his
parents said Private Yearsly had been
killed during the battle of Chateau
Thierry, July Is. Several comrades had
written the parents that their son had
been killed in action. One of these COM
rades. a Philadelphia boy and a for
mer schoolmate of the dead soldier,
Private Robert McDevitt, of the Third
Ammunition Train, wrote that he had
seen the grave where Yearsly was
buried near Chateau Thierry. -Four
rnOnfba n ftar hainu ont of the
service, following the Mexican border
trouble, Yearsly was again called into
service. For a while he was stationed
at Eddystone as a guard, and later sent
to Camp Hancock, where he trained
until his unit sailed last May. The last
: letter his parents received from him
was dated July IL. three days before he
is reported to have been killed.
Private Yearsly was born in Ger
mantown, was graduated from the public
schools and later attended the North
east High School. Previous to entering
the service he was grocery clerk.
One More on Death List
There is only one other name on the
city's death list for the army overseas
today, that of Private Thomas Bennet,
2030 Rodman street, who died or wounds.
Captain John Mel. Somers, 1888 Pine
street, gassed in the battle of the Ar
gonne, Is on the official casualty list to-
day. An account of how he was gassed
while leading Company NJ, 3l6th lnfan-
try. in binding attack was published
in the EVENING PUBLIC LEDGER a month
ago.
The War Department today announces
1345 casualties for the country. In the
report there are twenty-six from Penn
sylvania, sixteen being Philadelphians
OF the men from this city and its vicinity
on the report today, two are wounded
severely, thirteen wounded with degree
Undetermined two returned to duty anc
six slightly wounded. Four of those
classified as wounded with degree unde
termined and the two returned to duty
were originally reported missing.