Evening star., 1949-07-31
Is Die as DC-3 Crashes in Jersev
When Hit by Fairfax Naval Flyer;
Lawyer Among ADO. Area Dead
Fighter Stunting
Before Collision,
Witnesses Says
Sy the Associated Press


Sixteen persons were killed today
as a Memphis bound airliner was
chopped apart in the New Jersey
skies by what witnesses described
as a stunting Navy fighter plane.
The airliner's left wing and
tail were shorn off. and the Grip
pied Eastern Airlines DC-3
whirled into a farm pasture and
burst into flames. The Navy
plane. piloted by a reserve officer
from Fairfax, Va, burrowed into
the ground two miles away.
Four residents of the Washing
ton area, including a distinguished
international lawyer and the Navy
pilot. who flew out of Anacostia,
were among the dead.
Ex-Rotary Head Killed.
The victims from this area were:
Howard S. LIE Roy, So. of 2311
Connecticut avenue NV, an inter-
national lawyer, a former presi-
dent of the Washington Rotary
Club and a resident here for the
last 20 years.
Mrs. Annie Frances Curry, 70,
former regent of a Washington
OAR chapter, and chief genealog-
ist of the Children of the Ameri-
can Revolution. She lived at 625 A
street NE, and was returning to
her home after a vacation in Con-
necticut.
Mrs. May H. Smith, SO, of the
Colesville Road near Colesville,
Md. well known Montgomery
County civic leader and mother of
two young children. Mrs. Smith,
the wife of Harry r. Smith, owner
of a service station at Colesville.
was returning from a visit to East
Hartford. Conn.
1t. G.gD Robert Vernon Poe.
25. of Route 8, Fairfax, Va, pilot
of the fighter whose name was
released by the Navy Department
after his wife, Mrs. Mary E. Poe,
was notified. Friends were told
that Mrs. Poe. the former Mary
Muttare. had left
for Corpus Christi.
Tex. where her father died re- !
Gently. They also have a 3-year-
old son. 1t. Poe took off from
Anacostia Naval Air Station yes
terday enroute on a routine train
ing mission to Quonset Point
Naval Air Station, r. l., in an
F6F Hellcat fighter. He is said
to have studied at George Wash
ington University.
Other Dead Identified.
= The Associated Press reported
that the other dead were identi-
fed in New York by Eastern AIR
Lines officials as:
Passengers:
Miss Alice Sutherland, ITS East
SD street, New York.
Miss Cessna Deholl. 624 Nc
MILAN avenue, Birmingham. Ala.
Richard P. Katzin. 1852 Rose
wood avenue, Winston Salem,
N. c.
Mrs. Phillip A. Katzin and her
-months-old daughter, Susan, of
244 Melrose avenue, Winston
Salem. N. C. Mrs. Katzin was
described as a sister -in-law of
Richard Katzin.
Mrs. Jane Margeson, 8 Methune
drive, West Hartford. Conn.
Miss June Griswold, 81 Hollis
ter drive. East Hartford. Conn.
WolcotJ Andrews, Tyron, N. c..
Miss Sally N. Shaw, w. Hart
ford, Conn.
The crew members:
Capt. Leroy Roland Matthews,
Jackson Heights, Queens, N. Y.
Co-pilot Julien B. Simmons.
Jackson Heights, Queens, N. Y.
Flight Attendant Peter Cob
leck, 1910 84th street. Jackson
Heights, Queens. N. Y.
Charred Bodies Found.
The charred bodies of the u
passengers and three crew mem
berS were streWn throughout the
wreckage of the airliner. 1t. Poe
was found dead in a field beside
an unopened parachute.
State Police said they had re-
ports from two witnesses who saw
the two planes tangle high in the
sky over the Fort Dix military
reservation.
One was pilot of a Piper Cub,
who said the Navy fighter had
(See CRASH, Page A-5.)