Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-08-25
CHARLES PECkHAM
DIES OF INJURIES
FALL FROM AiRplANE PROVES
FATAL TO LOCAL Avl'
kTOR.
BIRD MEN TO sTREW
FLOWERS OVER GRAVE
Flyins Companions to Come to City
Fer Funeral and Pay Last Tribute
TO Dead comrade-Seeond Marshall
County Boy to Meet Death in Aerial
Accident Within Month.

Summit street, died at il:25 IA m,
Sunday. at the Methodist hospital. Dies
MONIES, from injuries received Friday
morning when the airplane in which he
and Lieutenant Mcdonald, both en-
! nloyes OF the Iowa Areo Company,
dropped in a tail spin from he:sht
| OF 900 feet. At the time of the acct
| dent it was announced that Peckham's
/ injuries consisted of fractures OF both
! legs, below the knees, but later II was
found that he had sustained a frac-
| ture at the base Of the skull. The par
| ents Of the daring airman were with
! him when the end came
Tuesday. when the body is lowered
| in its grave al Riverside. W. J. Barn
| dollar. vice president of the Iowa Areo
! Company. and Lieut.. Howard Eales,
! both service men and flying compan-
! IONS OF Sergeant Peckham, will fly over
the grave and drop flowers as was
/ done in France when a member Of the
! air service was laid TO rest The TWO
pilots will drive 10 this city from Des
Moines and park at the Country Club.
! Sesond Mechanic to Fall.
/ The death Of Peckham is the second
/ among aerial mechanics from tn
! county due to airplane accidents.
! Errett Leverne Grouse. son OF Mr.. and
/ Mrs John Grouse. of Albion, met death
under similar circumstances while fly
| ing in Nebraska in July5
! The accident witch caused Peck
| hams death ACQUIRED at II o'clock Fri
| day morning at a time when he was
! engaged with Lieutenant Mcdonald IN
! taking passengers on aerial Journeys.
! One passenger had just been dis
| charged from the fachine and an
other a Des Moines woman. had en-
! tered the passenger seat for a night
| when IL was found the machine would
! not leave the ground.
| The passenger alighted and Peckham
| took her place. The machine was
! started after a little delay and rose in
| The air. where Peckham climbed out On
! one of the planes. Spectators say the
! plane suddenly went into a tan spin
and plunged TO earth.
Peckham Tells Of Mishap.
Before he lapsed into unconscious
ness Sergeant Peckham attemp..>. -
| tell his mother Of the accident. he did
not know just what had happened but
said that he glanced at the pilot and
the latter's face was shostly white
Apparently the pilot was fainting or
had momentarily lost all sense of his
position. The next instant the plane
was falling TO earth.
Mrs. Peckham reached her sons bed
side Saturday and Mr.. Peckham went
| to Des Moines Saturday evening, ar
irving too late TO see the injured boy
| before ne was unconscious. The par
ents had not known the serious nature
| OF the aviator's injuries and ii was not
| known that he had suffered fracture
| Of the skull until late Saturday.
| Was Native of Marshalltown.
| Charles Willard Peckham was born
! in this ci,y, Aug. 1. 1895, the only son
| OF Mr.. and Mrs. ". L. Peckham, and
| he made his home here thruout his
| life. He attended the public schools OF
| the city and was graduated from the
| high school with the class Of 1916.
After his graduation he attended the
| state university for one year, prior 10
| his enlistment in the army.
! In his school days ne was prominent
in athletics, especially in football and
was an exceptionally brilliant student:
Saw Much Hard Service.
Peckham enlisted May ls, 1911. and
| went to France as member OF the
| Thirty fifth Areo squa dron. leaving
this country Aug. .. He served with
| the Thirty fifth aquadron untitled. IA,
| 1918, when he was transferred to the
103d Areo squadron, attached TO the
Lafayette Escadrille, with which he
served until he was discharged.
Peckham was promoted TO first class
sergeant and saw much hard service
on many fronts. He was in the Cham
| payne sector, with the Fourth French
army, from Feo. IS to April 10, 1919;
| in the Chemin des Danes sector, with
the same command. April 30; In Eian-
| ders, with the French D. A. N, May
| TO June 30; in the Toul sector; July to
Sept. 20; in the st. Mihiel offensive
| CToul Sector, Sept. 1916; in the Yer
| Dun sector, Sept. 20 to Nov. II, and IN
the Meuse- Argonne offensive CVerdun
sector), Sept IS to Nov. Is.
Cited Three Times.
| Inree Times SdhL I 'eN'
| cited for bravery and his service was
recognized as of unusual character.
| When Colonel Thaw, of the Lafayette
| EscadrilIe, was permitted to name one
man for appointment to West Point, he
selected Peckham. The young airnan,
however. did not not accept the ap-
pointment as he did not plan to follow
a military life and felt that his duty
had been done when the war ended.
He returned to the United States
March 3, last and was discharged from
| service, at Mitchell Field, Long Island,
| May 81.
Following his discharge from service
Peckham joined the air service flying
circus for tour Of the country in the
interest Of the victory loan. He visited
many cities and was noted for his dar-
.cS fea... -...i1e 81 raidair. At Chicago
he thrilled hundreds OF thousands py
dropping from one machine to another
while in full fight.
First Flight at Home.
On July Peckham made his first
and only fight over his home city,
going up with an exhibition fier to
take birds eye pictures Of Marshall
town from the planes Of the machine
Peckham recently entered the en-
ploy of the Iowa Areo Company. OF Des
Moines, a firm doing a commercial
! aerial business His last fight was
! made In the nresence of 100 or more