RECTOR, Sol - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Sol Rector who made his home with his sister, Mrs. Wesley Corey on the Tom Purdue farm east of Aylesworth a miler, met with almost instant death about 6:30 o’clock yesterday morning at the curve in the road just west of the covered bridge across Shawnee Creek a half mile north of Rob Roy.  Mr. Rector left the Corey home early that morning afoot for Attica.  At the HC Cronkhite home a mile south of Rob Roy Rector was overtaken by William Earl who resides near Fountain and who was in his auto enroute to Attica where he is employed in the Poston Brick Factory.  Young Earl invited Rector into his Ford car to ride. When making the curve just west of the Shawnee bridge, Earl let his car get too far over to the north side of the road where it struck some soft gravel and started to skid, finally turning over two times, landing upside down. Rector was caught under the car, one side of the car resting across his neck and the upper part of his chest and was fatally injured. Earl was thrown clear of the car and escaped with some severe scratches and bruises on both arms where he slide in the gravel.  Solon McBride and Frank Weigle who were driving a short distance in front of Earl, Sol Rennick who lives near where the accident happened and another man lifted the car off of Rector. Rector never spoke after he was freed from the car but according to the evidence of both Solon Brier and William Earl he breathed once or twice after the car was lifted off of him.  As soon as the men had freed Rector from the car Solon Brier hurried to a telephone and called Dr. JR Burlington of this city and also Coroner Aldridge of Covington.  Dr. Burlington made a quick run to the scene of the accident but Mr. Rector had passed away several minutes before he arrived.  Rector suffered a number of injuries but the one which caused his death probably was a hole which was cut in the upper portion of the right side of his forehead. This wound extended to the brain.  Young Earl said the car slide 5-6 feet after it turned over, Rector being carried along the ground with the car.  Earl testified that he slowed down as he approached the curve and he thought he was driving 15 miles an hour as he went around the curve. Solon McBride testified that Earl was driving from 15-20 miles an hour as he went around the curve.  Coroner Aldridge of Covington arrived about two hours after the accident and held an inquest over the body. He examined a number of witnesses including William Earl, Solon McBride, Frank Weigel and Sol Rennick. The coroner did not announce a verdict, stating that he would take the matter under advisement a few days. The dead man was about 66 years old and was never married.  He is survived by a sister, Mrs Wesley Corey with whom he lived and four brothers: Henry Rector, William, Jerry and Harry.  No arrangements had been made for the funeral. - kbz