White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1926-06-18
!. C. SYfFORD MEETS
TRAGIC Death

J. c. Syfford of Hanford died early
Monday morning in hospital at Van.
| couver, Washington, as the result oi
injuries received in an airplane acci.
dent there last Saturday afternoon.
According to the press dispatches
| carried in the daily papers, Mr. Syfford
had gone up as an observer in De-
haviland plane piloted by Lieutenant
Henry Goode. A few minutes after
taking off and when at height Of
about 200 feet, the plane Suddenly
burst into flames and crashed to the
ground. Lieutenant Oakley G. Kelley
commander of Pearson Field and
owner of the pane, said after an ex-
animation of the wreckage that the
ship had thrown crankshaft. He
said that he saw Lieutenant Goode
take off shortly before the crash.
Flames were splitting from the ex-
hausts from the engine, he said, and
few minutes later the engine began
making strange noises. The pilot had
turned and headed back over the
field when the motor stalled at a
height of about 200 feet. The mach
inc was completely destroyed and
Lieutenant Goode was burned to death
in the wreckage. According to OBJ
servers, Mr.. Syfford jumped from the
plane just before it struck the ground
and although badly burnt about the
face was not thought at the time to be
badly injured otherwise.
He held the rank of Lieutenant in
the quartermaster's reserve corps and
was on temporary duty at Vancouver
Barracks when the accident in which
he lost his life occurred on the last
day of his stay there. He was well
known over the county and state, hav-
ing served as County auditor and
commissioner from the first district.
During his second term as county
auditor, although over the draft age,
he enlisted in thu Unit States Armv
and remained in the service of his
country until the end of the World
War. Since then he has been men,
ber of the reserve corps and has
always taken great pride in his mil
itary affiliations.
Tie announcement of Mr.. Syfford's
death came as distinct shock to res
idents here. He was such perfect
specimen of physical manhood so
full of hea th and life that it seemed
impossible that his end had come.
No man could have been taken
from the community who will be more
greatly missed than j. c. Syfford.
A man of high intelligence, cool and
level headed, he was one whose coun-
sells could be depended upon in any
emergency. Always active in the pol
itical life of the community, it is hard
ly to be wondered at that he picked up
an enemy here and there among those
who disagreed with his views, but it
is safe to say that there is not one
even of these who does not feel his
death as loss and White Bluffs and
Hanford are united in mourning his
passing.
We have lost man.
Funeral services were held Wednes-
day in the Hanford Community Club
house, which was all too small to hold
the number of friends who came to
pay their last sad tribute. About 20
legionnaires from both branches of the
service. formed a bodyguard about
tf e casket as it was carried into the
hall, where the space in front of the
stage was heavily banked with wreaths,
floral pieces and cut flowers.
Mrs +. A. English sang "One
Sweetlv Solemn Thought" accompan-
led by DIR. C. E. Briggs on the piano.
After the reading of the Legion rit-
nal by Silas F. Murray and Rev.
R. C. Acheson, the funeral Grafton was
delivered by Judge Lloyd. who spoke
with feeling of the deep loss sustained
by the community. After the services
at the hall were concluded. the casket
was brought to the cemetery at White
Bluffs. where, after short service at
the graveside, conducted by Rev. Ach-
eson, and while the firing squad gave
the military salute and the hugler
sounded "taps," all that was mortal
of j. G. Syfford was lowered to it's
final resting place.
Julius Charles Syfford was born at
Sank Center, Minnesota, March 2,
1874, and spent his youth there. In
1905 he removed to North Dakota and
engaged in farming and banking there
until 1908, when he came to Hanford,
Washington, where he was one of the
first settlers on the Hanford project
and where he has lived ever since.
He served as county auditor of Benton
county and as commissioner from the
first district. Shortly after war was
declared he enlisted at Fort Lawton
and served in New York and Georgia
camps before being transferred to the
qnartermaster's department, state of
Washington. He is survived by Mrs.
Syfford and three daughters, Kathryr,
Margaret and May, and two sons,
Charles and William.