Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-03-12
FUNERAL SERVICES
HELD FOR 4 BOYS
Hundreds Attend Rites for
Youths Killed at Grade
Crossing.

BY STAFF Correspondent of The Star
! ALDEN, Va, March 12.-Impressive
rites filled with pathos, were held here
this afternoon i'll Valley View Church
for the four local youths who lost their
lives Sunday afternoon when their auto
mobile was demolished by a fast freight
train at BriStow crossing.
Hundreds Of humble country folk
from this tiny farming community at
tended the services in the small frame
church and with bowed heads. as the
prayer was said paid their final tribute
TO the deceased sons of three of their
most prominent citizens.
Victims of Accident.
The boys, Frank Whetzel, II, and
his brother Grant Whetzel, Ia Hamp-
ton Kerlin, Is, and Amos L. Smith, jr.,
II, were laid to rest in a corner of the
valley View Church Cemetery. uniting.
even IN death. the youths who were
devoted pals from early childhood
The joint services were conducted by
Rev. Jesse Bell of the M. E. Church
South, at Manassas, and Rev. E. Lee
SchafIer of the United Brethren
Church, at Manassas. Services were
held at the grave by members of Alden
Chapter of the Order of Fraternal
American, an organization in which all
OF the youths, with the exception of
Grant Whetzel, were members
The pallbearers were A. F. Flickinger.
clyde Hedrick, Lee Hedrick, Lester
Huff, Allen Liskey. Paul Dietri, w. r.
Oiinger. Vernon Bergman, Croft Brown,
Howard Marshall, Morris Keys. Mr..
Sitter, all members of the Order of
Fraternal Americans. and William part
low, Frank Shoemaker, Harold Neff,
John Hidely, Thomas Reading and Will
liam Wlehl, schoolmates of Grant
Whetzel
Hampton Kerlin is survived by his
father, William B. Kerlin; his mother,
Eva M. Kerlin; two sisters. Evelyn May
and Geneva Anna a brother, Warren
Wilson Kerlin, and grandmother, Mrs.
John Herndon. Amos Smith leaves his
father and mother, Amos l.. and Susie
E. Smith; three brothers. David F.,
George A. and Claude x. Smith; four
sisters, Sadie F., Anne B., Christine v.
and Helen r. Smith, and his grand
mother. Mrs. Barbara Smith.
William B. Kerlin, father of Hampton
Kerlin, is brother of Mrs. Susie E.
Smith, the mother of Amos l.. Smith, jr.
Survivors of the two Whetzel boys are
theic father and mother. Samuel G.. and
Vary S. Whetzel; four brothers, Wade
H., Miller r., Harry A. and Samuel G.
Whetzel, jr., and their grandparents.
Mr.. and Mrs J. M. Albright of Rock
ingham County, Va, and Mr.. and Mrs.
James c. Whetzel of Bristow, Va.
Grade Crossing Condemned.
Inhabitants of Alden today character
lied the Bristow grade crossing as
"slaughterhouse which has taken six
lives in the past l8 months" Efforts
will be made, it is said, to have the
railroad company construct an under
pass beneath the tracks or improve
upon the present automatic bell and
danger light system.
William Payne of Manassas, Prince
William County justice of the peace.
said yesterday that he would not hold
an inquest, deeming it unnecessary in
view Of the fact that everything points
to the fact that the youths ignored the
automatic warnings and tried to beat
the train to the crossing.
Payne In the role of assistant coroner,
viewed the bodies Immediately after the
wreck, DR.. E. II. Marstellar of Manassas,
coroner for Prince William County,
being out of town when the accident
took place.