Evening star., 1923-12-10
PLANE CRASH KILLS
ONE, HURTS PILOT
Edwin R. Trusheim Crushed
in 800-Foot FaII-BasiI
Gordon viii Recover.

One man was killed and another
narrowly escaped death when an air
plane crashed In a vacant lot near
Half and L streets southwest yester-
day afternoon. II was the first In
stance of a plane crash within the
city limits.
Edwin Reed Trusheim, twenty-one,
2l0 B street southeast, employe of the
Congressional Library. was instantly
killed when the engine Of the plane
fell on him. Trusheim was taking
his first flight with the pilot and own
er OF the airplane, Basil Gordon,
twenty-eisht. stepson OF Gen. George
Barnett Of the Marine Corps. Gordon
is at Providence HospitaIf where a
number of minor injuries were the
only results to him Of the crash, SO
far as could be determined.
Plane Falls 500 Feet.
According to Gordon the plane for
some undetermined reason went into
q spin at about 500 feet altitude. Gordon
tried to straighten out the plane. but
failed. Seeing that a crash was un-
ayoidable Gordon turned to his pas
senger ana said. Goodbye, old man.
It's all over" He tried to guide the
pane prsaa INTO the field and falling in that
lieu 70 iano the plane on it's side SO
mat the wings would strike frst and
tnus break the force of the Irnpact
RMS, however. failed.
Gordon was not told that Trusheim
was killed and Is under the impress
sion that his passenger was only in
Jured. Gen. Barnett. who was re-
.ireo from active service yesterday,
ana VINO Is III at the Naval Hospital
was not told of the accident because
or his physical condition.
Tho plane in which the fight was
maze was Canadian Curtisee JN
which Gordon had bought. named .'Fhe
Elaine" in honor Of his wife. formerly
Miss Elaine English of Philadelphia. to
"Ho4ii he was married about year ago.
Graduate OF Central.
Trusheim was a graduate of Central
High School and a student at George
caiiy well known as an actor. being for
a time connected with the Schubert
Garr'ck stock company. He was to
have played the bishop in The
Bishops Candlesticks" to be pre-
sented at the Playhouse the latter
part of this week. He was employed
In the copyright division Of the
Congressional Library. and is sur
vived by his mother. two brothers
and two sisters.
Dash IoTuOu WAS porn In Baltf-
more and was educated at Princeton
He left the university and Joined the
Marine Corps as a private, was pro-
NOTED to captain and served in that
rank with the army OF occupation In
Germany. Returning to America he
re-entered Princeton and was grad
uated with honors.
Becoming interested In aviation, he
entered Boston Technical Institute
where he specialized in the study OF
airplane motors. He had been flying
for about two and a half years Cor
don has been conducting ground
tests OF airplanes for the Navy De-
partment at the navy yard.
A verdict of accidental death was
returned by the coroner's Jury this
morning investigating the death OF
Trushein.
According to the testimony of De-
tective Sergt. Springman Of headquar-
ters, Gordon told him that he was an
experienced pilot and had driven from
Baltimore to Boston on several occa-
sions. When the airplane went into q
spin, Gordon said. the engine was all
right and was within gliding distance
of Boiling Field. Gordon told Spring
man that he thought the crash was
the result of some broken control wires.