Thorn, Francis Hinman 1911-1940 Victim of Two-Car Accident

Thorn, Francis Hinman 1911-1940 Victim of Two-Car Accident

Francis Thorn, 29,

Victim of Crash

Area Resident, Critically Hurt in Two-Car Accident,

Succumbs in Hospital

Severely injured in an automobile accident, Francis Hinman Thorn, 29-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. David Thorn of Edson Corners, died at Noon (June 30, 1940) yesterday in the Bassett hospital at Cooperstown.

State police said cars driven by Thorn and James C. Cleveland, 20, of New London, N. H., collided Saturday afternoon at 4:30 on Route 20, about three miles east of Cherry Valley.

Corp. D. R. Keown of Richfield Springs said the crash occurred about 200 feet west of the four-strip piece of concrete on the Cherry Valley turnpike.

Thorn was traveling from his home to Cohoes, while Cleveland, said to have been visiting in Cooperstown, was proceeding west. Authorities said it was raining hard when the cars collided headon.

The vicinity youth was taken in an ambulance to the Bassett hospital, where blood transfusions were given by his brother, Kent Thorn, of Westford, and Kenneth Haight of Milford, He suffered a fractured skull, crushed knees, broken jaw bone and internal injuries. His right leg was broken in 13 places.

Corp. Keown said there was no criminal negligence.

Dr. Harrie V. Frink of Richfield Springs, Otsego county coroner, gave a verdict of accidental death.

Son of a prominent New York physician, Cleveland was taken to the Bassett hospital for treatment of a dislocated left hip and lacerations on the right hand. His condition last night was regarded as satisfactory.

Victim of the accident was born April 18, 1911, at Dutch Hill, town of Milford, and was held in high esteem in this vicinity. He attended Milford central school, and had been employed by O. A. Weatherly Co., Inc. He attended the Methodist church.

Surviving are his parents and brothers; two sisters, Mrs. Charles Martin of Milford and Miss Lela Thorn, a teacher at Port Washington, who is now on a Panama cruise, Miss Thorn was notified of her brother's death at Kingston, Jamaica.

Funeral services will be held at the family home at Edson Corners Wednesday afternoon at 2. Rev. William J. Brown, pastor of the Milford Methodist church, will officiate, and interment will be at Portlandville.