Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-06-01
BODY, BADLY BURNED,
IDENTIFIED BY RING
Young Carolina Flyer Nephew
of Head of Richmond Dry
Goods Company.
FLEW FROM LANGLEY FIELD
Piungcs to Earth Before View of
Aunts. Who We're I'm Richmond
to Greet Him.

AS his loved ones watched him per-
FORM stunts in the air, believing. but
not positive, that it was he. and be-
lore their Mortified gaze. Second Lieu
tenant william Austin Sydnor, Jr.,
aged %, United States Army aviator,
plunged 700 feet to earth In an aero
plane that had become unmanageabia
within sight of the home of his uncle,
Eugene b. Sydnor. president of tha
richmond Dry Goods Company. at\
"esthampton. yesterday afternoon
ut 2:a0 o'clock. and probably was In
stantly killed
In It's descent the plano. which, ac-
corning to eyewitnesses. was acting
erraticaiiy, dove into two pine sap
lihss' one OF which 1t snapped of
just above the center. and the other.
the sturdier of the two. 1t uprooted.
Immediately after striking the sec
ond tree the careenlng plane was
seen to emit a thin spiral of black
or blue smoke and. few seconds
later. IT struck the ground with a
II thnd that was heard at tho Country
Club OF Virginia and the University
OF Richmond grounds at Westhamp-
ton.
'""SS EhNeiOp Machine.
Divinlng from the unusual antics
or the plane that something was
amiss. and fearful that the aviator
would be unable to right the machine
before 1t reached the ground. scores
who were witnessing the stunts. of
young Sydnor In midair, hastened to
held In which II was apparent tho
machine would land Before the
Of
the spot. the plane had struck the
ground and almost Immediately a
ouiSt of flame was seen. BY the time
ana had arrived. the machine was
mass OF flames. and the body of the
youthful flyer, who was motionless
and probably already dead. rapidly
was being consumed in the Are that
made short shrift OF both the plane
and its human cargo.
The body. burned beyond recoRni-
ton. was tenderly lifted from the
tangled mass of twisted Steel and
other wreckage loft by tho destruc-
ton OF the plane, and as tenderly
deposited short distance from what
was left of the plane
Then began feverish search for
some trinket or other means by
which the body might bc Identified.
First. the searchers uncovered from
the ashes and bits of charred wood
metal watch. which. however. did
not aid In the Identification. Next,
a pocket knife was brought to light.
Neither did this throw any light on
the identity OF the victim.
Recover Articles From Debris.
Then. one by one the bits OF leather.
from the shoes worn by young Syd-
nor. the end of a belt and unburned
particles of clothing. outer and in
ner. were espied and eagerly raked
from the debris. Up to this time
nothing had been found that made
identification positive. although the
fear that 1t was the body of young
Sydnor was growing, particularly
among relatives OF the young aviator.
Then gold signet ring was
brought to light by searchers who
persisted after others had Abandoned
the quest. Interested ones surced
forward eager for Il glimpse of pos
sible markings on tho trinket. They
We're rewarded. After the ashes and
CRIME we're wiped off. the Initials of
monogram. wv. A. S." were ue-
ciphered The worst fears Of tho
onlookers. and particularly OF those
most concerned, were confirmed. The
ring was all that remained to COM
plete the tragedy
OF the many ;hat still fingered
after the body had been tendcr.y
lifted into q long. narrow wicker
basket and placed in the private am
bulance dispatched from tho under
taking parlors of Arthur c. Nielsen.
none could, with certainty, say that
the ring had belonged to young Syd
nor, so messenger was dispat tchcd
FOR T.. S Sydnor. y hush fell over
those assembled 4; the scene OF death
while they awaited his arrival ana
the positive Identification which. all
felt. was inevitable.
Sydnor Identities Ring.
with Mr.. Sydnor's arrival, the ring
was handed to him. rs IL your ne-
phew's?' he was asked. Tears
welled In his eyes and his voice
choked. He was apparently too over
come for words. He nodded atfirma-
lively. Poor boy fell almost m
audibly from his lips.
News of tho aceiden, was teIc-
phoned to Police Headquarters by
some one at tho Country Club. Ser
gcant Il. w. Grafton and Automobile
Traffic Officer G, j, browning wa.e,
dispatched TO the scene, When they
Continued on Pase.Z. cpI, ~