Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-12-22
WALTER R. ALEXANDER KILLED
BY CONTACT WITH AIRPLANE
Son of Commerce Depart
ment Head Hit by Re-
voIvingi Blades.
Reserve Officer Was About
to Make FIight-Wedding
Day Had Been Set.

stepping too near the revolving pro-
peller of an airplanc at Boiling Field,
just before he was to take a fight,
Walter Richardson Alexander. son of
the Secretary of Commerce, was in.
stantly killed late yesterday after
noon when the whirlins blades
struck him on the head.
The accident has cast shadow
over the holiday cheer of official
Washington. an added note Of tragedy
being due to the fact that the voting
man. who was a reserve officer in the
air service. was to have been married
on Christmas day.
A board of inquiry was convened at
Boiling Field this morning and after
listening to the testimony of Lieut..
been the pilot on Lieut.. Alexander's
flight, and to others who were near,
found that death was incurred in line
of duty and that the accident was
unavoidable. The board consisted of
Lieuts. Roy Dunn, Stanley NJ. Ames
and James z. Adams.
Had Previous Experience.
Lieut.. Alexander had been up from
this field as a passenger two or three
times" said Lieut.. Whitney. who is
adjutAnt at Boiling Field. but had
never made fight with him. Re
serve officers have the privilege of
making such flights. and l was pre-
pairing to go up when he came in
yesterday, so ] invited him to go with
me.
'"rhe machine. a Curtiss with a His
PIANO engine. was in the field. and ]
was not watching my companion, as I
knew he was familiar with the ma
chine. He was in fyont Of the plane
and started toward It. probably with
the intention OF climbing in. but he
seemed oblivious to the propeller, and
before / could shout warning he
stepped into the range OF the blades -
There were no other eyewitnesses to
the tragedy. though several men were
working in a hangar narby and heard
the crash Of the blow. They ran out
to see the young reserve officer lying
on the ground with the top of his
head crushed.
Father Informed BY Phone.
Mai. Martin F. Scanlon. commandant
OF the post. was not at the field when
the accident happended, but heard Of
1t short time later: He arrived about
the same time as did Secretary Alex
ander. the father. who had been In :
formed Of his sons death by Lieut.
Whitney over the telephone. The Sec
rotary was much affected, but at once
made arrangements TO have the body
taken to Wrights undertaking rooms,
1887 10th street.
There is something unexplainable
about the way a man. even one of
experience. will get In the way Of a
propeller" said Maj. Scanlon today.
att may be that the whirling blades
have some psychic effect on them.
I know Of one officer. with
years of experience as a flyer, who
=
called a miracle. At this field, not
long ago, a man finished a flight, and
on getting out Of the machine passed
SO close to the propeller that it grazed
his elbow. Such tragedies as this can
be classed only as unavoidable acct
dents"
I.ieutenant a Native Of Missouri.
Lieut. Alexander was twenty-eight
years old. having been born In Gal'
latin, Mo, in 1892. He attended high
school there and later was student
at tho University of Missouri in Co
lumbia. He came to Washington
when his father WAS in Congress. and
was graduated from George Wash
lowing year he took a course in po-
1iticai science at the University of
California, and, returning to Wash
ington, entered the George Washing
ton University Law School, receiving
his degree and being admitted to the
bar.
While serving in the administration
division OF the Shipping Board Lieut..
Alexander enlisted in the Reserve
CORDS of the air service in February,
1918, and in June Of that year was
called into active service. The fol-
lowing December he was commits
stoned, and last February was trans
ferred to the reserve list.
Leaving the active service Lieut..
Alexander had returned to the law
department of the Shipping Board,
and he returned to Washington a few
days ago from an extended tour of
the Adriatic in the interest Of that
service. The chief clerk and the
twelve bureau chiefs Of the Depart
ment Of Commerce today held a meet
inat and arranged to send a floral piece
to be placed on the casket.
Plans for Interment.
The body Of the reserve ofiicer will
be taken to Gallatin, Mo-. for inter-
ment, the family leaving at 1855
o'clock this evening and going by way
OF Chicago. In the funeral party will
be the Secretary Of Commerce and
Mrs. Alexander. Mrs. N. r. Jenner and
Miss Rowena Alexander. sisters of the
lieutenant, and Lawrence Alexander
and Preston c. Alexander. his broth
ers. At Gailattn they will be Joined
BY Mrs Arthur J. Ftcklin Of King
City. Mo-, another sister. and by
George r. Alexander Of Oregon. a
- ..-..&S.