Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1919-02-20
Major Casualties Account for
487 of PISS Gases Reported
Today

Philadelphia's death list for the army
overseas runs high today. The War De-
partment reports nine men from this city
dead. -Four were killed in action.
Among the killed appears the name
of William J. Shyson, former Philadel-
phia wrestling champion. Shyson was
among a team OF fourteen Americans
who went to Stockholm, Sweden. in 1914,
TO compete in thu international wres-
Ting match. He had the distinction OF
being the only American who won his
match.
Shyson has been overseas since July
of last year and was attached to Com
pany F. 315th Infantry. According to
the War Department. he was killed In
action in the Argonne sector october
s5. He was ga ssed before this, but re-
covered and returned TO duty.
He Is survived by n brother living
at 4269 Mantua avenue.
Sbyson was thirty-one years old, and
entered the service in May. 1917, train
ing at Camp Meade. Previous to this
he had been an instructor for the Uni
versity of Pennsylvania wrestling team.
lie was formerly student at Girard
College and was we'll known in Y. NJ. C.
\. circles IN this city.
Private Ernest J. Harrison. 264l Coral
street. who was previously reported
missing and thought to have been a
prisoner In Germany, is now declared
20 have been killed in action. He had
written no letters home in several
Honths.
One man from Camden is reported
cad of accident.
onfiicting Reports Puzzle Parents
he parents OF Corporal Jerry Giles
., 1873 North De Kalb street. are puz-
-i,d over conflicting reports of the death
e their son. He was originally reported
missing, and later letter from one of
= comrades informed his parents that
beir son had been killed in action Au-
',ust 10. Now the War Department de-
rlares that Gillespie died the day be-
fore Christmas, giving no cause for his
,eath.
He enlisted in 1915 in the National
ss;uard of this state, had served on the
Mexican border. trained later at Camp
Hancock and sailed last May for over
as as member OF Company l., 111th
rfantr'
- IRE fifty-nine men on the honor
he city today classified as fol-
bead, Q; wounded severely, 4 !;
iyor I, with degree undetermined. 80
and wounded slightly. 13. Three of the
zen today classified as wounded, with
'egree undetermined, were originally re-
1rted missing.
The major casualties for the nation
nday are unusually large. there being
sS7 such cases on the combined reports.
which total 2155 names. There are 23l
Pennsylvanians in the report, 173 Of
whom are wounded.
Sketches of tho Heroes
Corporal George william Esher, 524
east Johnson street, Germantown, is re-
sorted by the War Department today
TO have died of accident. An official
telegram to his mother. Mrs Mary
F,sher, said that he was killed January
II, when a motorcar he was, driving
ran into a shellhole and overturned
The colonel OF his regiment, who was
in the car, was unhurt, it has been
learned.
Corporal Esher was twenty years old
FIe enlisted in the ambulance corps
shortly after the war started, and was
{ in training at Allentown until sailing
in December. 1917. After his arrival
IN France he was transferred to the
30sth Brigade Tank Corps. He was
horn In Philadelphia and had been a
student at the Northeast Manual Train
ing School. He was an electrician. Sew
eral letters written home by him since
iiostilities ceased said that he was in
the best of health and was looking for
ward to coming home.
Corporal James ODonnelI. 2443 Sey-
hert street, according to the War De-
partment. was gassed September 80, He
is attached to Company l., 315th Infan-
try, and has been overseas since July
last. He is twenty-three years old. Re-
l14t frn, 70 IA fIar
Mrs. Sarah O'Donnell, who lives at the
seybert street address, say that he has
partially recovered.
Tells of Germantown Boys Death
Corporal Edwin S. Brown. gassed Oc-
tober 12, has returned to his home, 2l1
North Fortieth street, Camden. He
wears three gold chevrons, two signify
ing a year overseas and one that he was
wounded. Three white stripes in a blue
field on his arm mean that he took part
In the battles OF Chateau Thierry, st
Mihiei and the Argonne.
Corporal Brown has confirmed the
/. death of Private Stanley II. Berry, OF
( Germantown, who was reported to have
been killed at Chateau Thierry July 10
He was one of the first Americans "a
give his life on the battlefield in the
worlds war" said Brown today Brown
said to the parents OF his dead COM
rade today:
''Stanley and were pals since the
day ws enlisted, in May, 1917. We
were constantly together until he was
transferred TO the telephone detail and
went overseas in February OF last year.
/ mel him when 1 arrived over there in
May. On July is he was posted in a
IS dugout with four others OF a detail
Shrapnel was falling everywhere
through the dark. and while We were
: trying 10 repair the telephone lines that
hsd been torn down by the shell fire my
) conrade and pal was killed. He was