A negro, who was said to be Reuben Pollard of Alabama, was apparently killed just across Neuse River here Friday morning, presumably after he endeavored to jump on a log wagon.
About 10 o’clock Friday morning Mr. A.C. Langdon found the negro lying in the road between truck tracks. He reported the matter to the sheriff, and immediately an investigation was started. The tracks were followed to the mill of York and Blackman just on the edge of town beyond Herring’s lumber yard, and the driver of the truck, Frank Morris, was questioned concerning the occurrence. Morris did not know the negro had been run over and killed. He stated, however, that the negro made an effort to catch hold of his truck as he passed that morning with a load of black gum longs which he carried to the mill. The negro, a few days before, had one the same thing but caught the coupling pole and crawled over the logs to the cab. Monday morning Morris did not look back to see if the fellow got on and never thought of the occurrence again until the sheriff reported that the negro was dead. It is thought that the trailer ran over the negro who probably fell in his effort to get on the wagon.
The coroner, Mr. Charlie Stepenson, summoned a jury, and a hearing was held in the commissioners’ room of the court house. No blame, however, was attached to Frank Morris, who drove the truck, and the verdict was to the effect that Pollard came to his death accidentally as he tried to hop the truck.
From the front page of The Smithfield Herald, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 1925
newspapers.digitalnc.org/lccn/sn92073982/1925-11-10/ed-1/seq-1/
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