April 29 1953
AAron C Ashworth Feared Drowned Off Dock In
Last Seen When He Stepped Outside From Dock-House About
Aaron C (Banty) Ashworth 54, of 512
Pearl street, an employe of
the Texas Company at its Mt. Vernon terminal for almost 11 years, disappeared
from the vicinity of the loading dock between 4 and 4:15 a.m. today and is
believe to have drowned in the Ohio river.
At 3 o'clock this afternoon a widespread search of the shoreline
and dragging of the river had brought no trace.
No one saw Ashworth fall or slip into the river.
William B. Goodwin as operator 2, Doyle Austin and Ashworth,
operator's helpers, comprised the terminal crew that was engaged in loading
gasoline into barges of the Towboat Roy Mechling, of
A. L. Mechling Towing Co., Joliet, Ill. Gasoline
is transferred by flexible hose lines from the loading dock to the barge
headers which are against the dock.
M. Eugene Rowe, as operater 1 was
gauging the loading from the terminal plant.
While a hose line was being drained ,
Ashworth and Austin had gone into the dock-house and Goodwin informed that his
auto at some distance from the dock had a flat tire, went to investigate.
Ashworth left Austin in the dock-house to go outside,
Goodwin inquired as to where Ashworth was when he returned to the dock and when
no trace of him was found the search began. Ashworth has left his coat in
the dock-house. No one saw Ashworth after he
left the dock-house.
E. Frank Boyle, terminal superintendent, was notified at his home
and efforts to trace the missing man were launched on a widespread scale.
Fellow-employes of the missing man using
draglines began dragging the river. The Posey County sheriff's office and
Mt. Vernon Fire Department dispatched men to assist in the search. A boat
was employed to "wash-under" the dock but no trace of Ashworth had
been found in mid-afternoon. All river craft and government dams were
alerted.
The missing Mt. Vernon-ite had been
employed by the Texas Company at its
FIND BODY TERMINAL EMPLOYE
Aaron Ashworth Body Recovered At Shawneetown
Ten days after Aaron C. ( Banty)
Ashworth, 54, of 512 Pearl street, Mt. Vernon disappeared from the loading dock
of the Texas Company terminal at Mt. Vernon where he had been employed for
almost 11 years his body was found floating in the Ohio River late yesterday
afternoon a half-mile above Shawneetown, Ill.
Lawrence, Litsey, who operated a fish
market at Shawneetown, found the body as he was enroute to run his nets.
The body had traveled a distance of 28 miles, eluding searchers
who began dragging a short time after Mr. Ashworth disappeared from the dock
between 4 and
Identification was confirmed by cards in the billfold of the river
victim whose spectacles had not been dislodged during the long journey in the
water.
The body was brought to the Weisinger
Funeral Home in
The funeral service will be conducted at
Mr. Ashworth, a life-long resident of Mt. Vernon with a reputation
of industry, high moral and devotion to his family was a member of Mt. Vernon
lodge 49, Independent Order of Odd Fellows; Posey aerie No. 1717, Fraternal
Order of Eagles and Local 368 Oil Workers International Union, Local 368
shortly after Mr. Ashworth's disappearance offered a $100 reward for the
recovery of the body.
An inquest will be conducted tonight by Gallatin County Coroner,
A. C. Cox at
The drowning was the third to occur at a Mt. Vernon petroleum
terminal on the Ohio river since this city became an oil shipping point, but it
was the first of a local terminal employe, the other
two being members of boat crews. The latest victim of the river had been
employed by the Texas Company at its
Surviving the tragedy victim are the wife, nee Mary Crunk; three daughters, Mrs. William Menikheim,
St. Louis; Mrs. Merrill Gee, Evansville, and Mrs. Tossie
Powell, who has been residing in Detroit but with her family is preparing to
re-locate in Mt. Vernon; two grandchildren; two brothers, David H Ashworth, Mt.
Vernon, and Louis K. Ashworth, St. Louis, and five sisters, Mrs. Claude C Courtner, Mrs. Dalton Erwin, Mrs. E. A. Trousdale, Mrs.
Ivan Yaggi and Mrs. Owen C. Crowe, all of Mt. Vernon.
The deceased's parents were David F. Ashworth and Ella Hanshoe Ashworth.
Burial
was in
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Originally submitted by Betty Sellers