The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1944-11-30
MAN KILLED UNDER
CARGO ON MAIN ST.
AS TRUCK UPSETS.
Jack Filhart Meets Instant
Death in Accident in Busi-
ness District
Parked Auto is Wrecked and
Retail Store Display Win
dow Shattered

Daymond (Jack) Filhart, 72, of
North Jackson street, was killed in
stantly at 11:05 p. m. last Saturday
night at the Vine street junction of
North Main street when he was crush
ed under the cargo of large semi
truck which overturned as it swerved
in an attempt of the driver to avoid
the pedestrian.
Filhart was crossing Main street
after leaving Basinger's meat market
and apparently did not notice the
large truck approaching from the
north.
As he stepped into the street, the
driver of the truck saw the pedestrian
and applied his brakes, but the vehicle
jacknifed and turned on its side. The
victim was buried under the $4,000
pound cargo which spilled thru the
tarpaulin top.
Skids Into Auto
Skidding about 80 feet, the over
turned truck struck 1897 Studebak-
er coupe parked on the opposite side
of Main street. The coupe was push
ed over the sidewalk and into the
front of the Steiner and Huser cloth
ing store, shattering the large plate
glass display window.
In the coupe were Donald Balmer,
81, of Union township, and Clyde
Hartman, 20, of Orange township.
Altho the coupe was wrecked, both
youths were unhurt. Balmer is the
son of Clinton Balmer and Hartman
the son of Wilbur Hartman.
Balmer was the owner of the car,
and he had just brought it to stop in
the parking place when the accident
occurred The motor was still running
when the auto was struck by the
truck. Hartman is scheduled to be in
Quoted into the army on December 5
from Hancock county.
Truck Driver Unhurt
Ray Burton, Sd, of indianapolis,
driver of the truck was unhurt in the
crash, which he said was his first ac-
cident in IA years of trucking. His
truck owned by the Federal Express
Co., of Indianapolis, was enroute from
Akron to the Indiana city with load
of rubber goods.
AS soon as the truck overturned
Burton smashed the window in the
cab and climbed into the street. He
said that trucks which overturn often
catch on fire, but on this occasion
there was no blaze altho the fumes of
gasoline were strong.
Traffic was blocked on Main street
for more than half an hour, before
enough of the wreckage could be
cleared to permit one-way passage of
vehicles. BY 2 a. m. Sunday, the
spilled cargo of the truck had been
loaded into another Express truck
sent here to pick it up.
Witnesses Mishap
Mrs. Walter Montgomery, of Orange
township, a witness of the accident
who was standing on the sidewalk in
front of the Basinger furniture store
at the time said Filhart was struck
by the front fender of the truck and
thrown clear, but that the cargo of
carton filled with rubber goods buried
the aged man as it burst thru the tar
paulin top as the trailer overturned.
The body was removed to the Diller
funeral home where Allen County Cor
oner Harry Lewis gave a verdict of
accidental death from skull fracture,
internal injuries and factured jaw and
leg.
Two other cars parked on Main
street were slightly damaged. A
Plymouth coupe owned by Kenneth
Reichenbach, son of Henry Reichen-
bach, northwest of Bluffton, parked
behind the Balmer car, had dents in
the body and tenders and a Chevrolet
sedan belonging to H. H. Burkholder
behind Reichenbach's car had bump
er broken.
Filhart was born in Hancock county,
May 20, 1872, and had lived in this
community all his life. He was mar
ried to Minnie Henderson, who died
August 3, 1888.
Daughter Lives Here
Survivors include daughter, Mrs.
Fred Fritchie of Button; three sons,
Byron, of Jenera; Clifford, of Orten-
vile, Mich; and Gerald, of the u. S.
Navy; four step-children, Mrs. Charles
Jehle, of Pontiac, Mich; Mrs. William
Roush, of Lorain; Howard Cook, of
Texas; and Homer Cook, of Columbus,
and a brother, Chester Filhart, of Fos-
toria
Last rites were held in the DilleI
funeral home Wednesday afternoon
Rev. NJ Fronsoe, pastor of the Church
of Christ, officiated. Burial was in
the Clymer cemetery.