The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1919-08-11
TEFFT
KILLED NEAR
PIKE CROSSING
Remains of Yankee Division Sol
dier Found Beside Track
BODY BADLY MANGLED
Presumed Unfortunate Young Man
Fell Between Cars but Details
of Accident Not Known

Early Sunday morning the body of
/ a young man that was later identified
as that of Lenton S. Tefft was found
beside the track OF the Bennington
branch of the Rutland railroad about
three hundred feet north of the un-
derpass at what is locally known as
the Pike crossing. The body was so
badly mangled that hours elapsed be-
fore identification Mas possible.
The body was first discovered by
Martin and Jesse Bronson. who live
near the covered bridge on the road
to North Bennington and who were
at the time on their way to the farm
OF Elmer Elwell. AS soon as they
came upon the remains the young
men at once hurried to the home of
E. Wheeler Rice. Other neighbors
were summoned and in short time
number of residents in the vicinity
gathered at the scene of the tragedy
Mr. Rice telephoned to Selectman
Frank M. Thompson who at once
communicated with Selectman J. Oil
yer Burt.
AS soGn as possible the remains
were taken to the Walbridge under
taking rooms and then search was
instituted to ascertain who the un-
fortunate young man might be. The
features were so disfigured that
recognition was impossible and identi
fication was finally made through q
small mole on the side OF the neck
and a Yd ring that was worn on the
finger, the young man having served
in the Yankee division during the re-
cent war in Europe.
How the victim of the accident met
his death has not been determined
and the actual details may never be
known Tefft had only recently
been discharged from the service and
had been employed for short time
at the factory of the II. G. White
company at North Bennington. Since
his discharge he had been living at
the home of his father-in-law, Fred
Bent on Beach street, Saturday noon
he left the house with the intention
of visiting his parents. Mr.. and Mrs.
Seth Tefft who live in Cambridge.
For this reason his people here ex-
perienced no anxiety when he did not
return Saturday night.
There were rumors on the street
this morning that Tefft was seen in
Hoosick Falls Sunday afternoon and
that he was in the village Of North
Bennington as late as midnight. No
one has been found who saw him
board any train. Railway employees
state that large number of men
have been stealing rides on freight
trains between this village and North
Bennington during the night for many
months and the different crews have
been expecting accidents of this ma
ture for some time. Tefft may have
been on one of the early morning pas
senger trains and may have fallen be-
tween the cars,
Lenton Stafford Tefft was born at
Shaftsbury and was % years old.
When war was declared with Ger
many he was employed at the shops
Pittsfield and entered the service
from that city. He was attached to
the 104th regiment of the 26th, was
in the service about eighteen months
and participated in many of the en-
aagements and made the Yankee
division one fthe famous organiza-
tions of the American expeditionary
force
The accident is a particularly sad
tragedy The young man, other than
his parents, leaves widow who was
Miss Marion Bent and child about
two years old He also leaves a
sister, Mrs. Walter King living at
North Bennington.
The funeral was held. from the
Bent home on Beach street this af-
ternoon. Rev. George S. Mills, pas
tor of the Second Congregational
church, ofiiciated and the interment
was in the village cemetery