Eggers - Benton Gordon - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

CRAWFORDSVILLE, Sept. 3 - Funeral services were held here this morning at the Proffitt and Son funeral home, burial in Freedom cemetery, for Benton Gordon Eggers, 13 year old Smartsburg youth, who was electrocuted last Saturday.

  The lad, with Harold Johnson, 11, of Crawfordsville, had gone to the bridge over Walnut Fork creek, one-half mile northeast of Smartsburg.  Although warned by the young boy, the Eggers boy climbed to the top of the iron bridge and touched a wire carrying 6,600 volts of electricity from the Crawfordsville plant to Darlington.  The lad plunged 30 feet to the water in the creek below.  The Johnson boy ran for help, returning with a sister of the youth.  The boy was pulled out of the water and others summoned local authorities with Coroner Charles Riley.  The city's new respirator was rushed to the scene.

  The mother of the boy was working in Crawfordsville and was located only after considerable delay.  Surviving are the mother, Mrs. Hallie Brown; a step-father, and four sisters.  The father, Glenn Eggers, committed suicide about four years ago.