Deal Family Members Killed Returning From Funeral, Jan. 1, 1921

Mr. and Mrs. Perry Deal and granddaughter, Lenora Bell Deal, aged 11 years old, were instantly killed, Elbert Deal, son of Perry and father of Lena Bell Deal, died in a Charlotte hospital, and Carroll and Beola Deal, aged 9 and 7 years respectively, were probably fatally injured as a result of an automobile accident in the Southern Railway freight yards early today as the party were on their way to Newton from Charlotte, where they attended the funeral of Mrs. J. Hartsell Deal. It was the worst automobile tragedy ever reported in this section and has cast a gloom throughout the city where all the persons were well and favorably known. Mrs. Elbert Deal whose husband died at Charlotte was prevented from attending the funeral of her sister-in-law by illness. Mrs. J. Hartsell Deal was a sister of Messrs. T.W. Frank and Clarence Sanders of Newton. The Deals left Charlotte early this morning for Newton and their Ford automobile was passing through the Southern freight yards when the accident occurred. The details are not available, but telephone messages said that Carroll and Beola, children of Mr. and Mrs. Elbert Deal, were not expected to live. Four of the six passengers in the Ford car died within two hours of each other, three of them being killed instantly, and news of the death of the two children was expected momentarily. Carroll Deal, at first reported with his father, remained in Newton, it was learned this afternoon and was not in the accident. It was reported that all five of the passengers had died, but at 2 o’clock Beola deal was still alive. (From the front page of The Hickory Daily Record, Saturday evening, Jan. 1, 1921)