Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-01-12
SIX ARE ORPHANED
BY PLANE TRAGEDY
Three Widows and Two
Fiancees of Dead Flyers
Live in Washington.

The crash of the Army transpor
plane from Boiling Field, which Eel
near Royalton, Pa, yesterday, killing
eight men, leaves In Washington three
widows, six orphans and fiancee OF two
Of the men.
The three women who lost their hus-
bands and one who lost her sweetheart
were so overwhelmed today that they
could scarcely talk of the tragedy.
: The death of Staff Sergt. Henry
. Cronan leaves his widow with three
young children to provide for. An older
daughter is married and a grown son
Is in the Army.
The widow. Mrs Lillian Cronan. Is
IS years old. They had been married
% years.
Il just can't understand it" she said
"Henry had been in the service for "A
years and he served all through the
war without being hurt. He would have
been retired in five years and We had
so many plans. Why did he have to be
killed SO near the end?
Sought Extra Flying Pay.
"They pay extra money for flying
time, YOU know, that's the reason he
went up. He was trying to make little
extra money for me and the children
that's what hurts. BlM Henry was al
ways that way-always thinking of us
and never of himself. Goodness knows
we did need the money.
"He was such good husband and we
were so happy. OF course we never had
much, but Henry was devoted to us. He
wasn't the type of man to run around;
he liked his home too well. The last
thing ne did before he left yesterday
morning was to fix some. orange. juice
for little Henry-he's been sick, you
know"
In addition to Henry, jr., who is g.,
other children in the family are Mary,
IL: Dorothy. IA; Mildred, Is, and Reg
inald. 10. They live at I'll Cockeren
avenue, Takoma Park, Md.
Master Sergt. Joseph B. Mccarthy,
1443 U street southeast, was the father
of a daughter less than year old. His
widow, Mary Hayes Mccarthy, Is n.
IT was afraid something would hap
pen to him." Mrs. Mccarthy said. He
didn't want to go on this trip, but he
said he needed the flying time. Those
airplanes-I've always been afraid OF
them.
"Only two nights ago he came home
and told me I'd just escaped becom-
ing widow. A plane he was in that
day tipped over on it's nose while taking
of. but he wasn't hurt.
We've been married six years and
have been SO happy together. He
thought Mary Agnes, our baby, was the
greatest baby in the world. I don't
know what I'm going to do now"
Mrs. Agnes G. LeHutta, widow OF
Staff Sergt. r. j. LeHutta, was pros
trated by the news.
Planned Surprise Dinner.
Mrs. LeHutta had been in bed with
the grip for a week She got up for
the first time yesterday and had fixed
dinner for her husband
II knew it would be a relief to him
to see me up" she said. He'd been
coming up so many times to see how I
was. thought I'd fix dinner for us
as sort of a surprise for him. Oh, when
that officer came In and told me he
was dead just couldn't believe It,"
Sergt. LIE Hutta was % and his wife
80 years old. Before her marriage five
years ago she was Miss Agnes Gertrude
Coffey of Fairfax, Va. -
Just before Pvt. Michael D. Kelley
took off from Boiling Field on the ILL
fated trip he telephoned his fiancee,
Miss Ruby Brockwell, 10 years old, of
2l9 Fifth street southeast.
I'm going to make q trip today" he
told her, I'll see you tonight, sweet
heart"
THE trouble with Mike" Miss Brock
well said, was that he had too much
confidence in those airplanes. He
never thought one he was in could fall"
Il tried to get him to stay down, but
he wouldn't listen. He was trying to
get out of the service and had been
told his request would be granted. We
were going to get married then"
Miss Charlotte Butler, fiancee Of
Sergt. Patrick Conroy, left for Harris
burg. Pa, as soon as she heard Of the
accident. She reached Conroys side
two hours before he died.
She had no opportunity to talk with
him, however. for he died without re-
gaining Consciousness.