THE FLAGLER TRIBUNE
Bunnell, Florida
Thursday, December 28, 1922John Harold Biddle, 20, eldest son of James M. and Eleanor Brown Biddle, born in McKeesport, Pennsylvania, September 28, 1902, and for the past several years one of Flagler county's most promising and beloved young men, met all untimely and tragic death Saturday afternoon last and was consigned to the great mother of us all Tuesday afternoon in Espanola Cemetery.
The accident that cut short the life of Harold Biddle occurred presumably about 3 o'clock Saturday afternoon when a Fordson tractor, being demonstrated on the farm of Mr. George Burnsed about three miles out of Bunnell on the Moody Road, turned turtle, the steering wheel pinning the young man's body on the iron beam of the disking machine with which the ground was being prepared for the spring crop.
As the tractor reared and Harold saw no chance to save himself, he warned the young Burnsed lad who was riding on the tractor with him to "look out," the lad leaping away to safety. In Harold's effort to free himself after receiving the tremendous weight of the tractor on his chest, he broke the castings of the wheel and when rescued still held firmly in his grasp the broken steeling wheel. It is quite evident that death was instantaneous, as the chest was crushed in and the clutch levers were resting almost upon his throat, rendering breathing impossible.
It was near five o’clock before word was brought to town, there being no way to communicate with the parents; it was not until his two small brothers went with the truck to bring Harold home for the Christmas celebration at the church scheduled for Saturday night, that news reached town, the little lads driving as rapidly as possible to carry the shocking news to the parents.
Many carloads of friends rushed to the scene. Probably two hours had elapsed before the tractor could be removed from the body. It required the utmost strength of a dozen men and a pair of horses to accomplish the feat.
The body was brought to the home of his parents in Bunnell and there prepared by Undertaker Davis of Palatka for burial. Interment being, as before stated, in Espanola Cemetery.
The funeral services were not held until Tuesday afternoon, awaiting the arrival of Mr. Joseph Biddle of Pennsylvania, and Mr. D. R. Biddle of New Mexico, uncles of the deceased. Mr. Joseph Biddle arrived in time for the funeral but the other uncle could not make the trip.
At 2: 30 o'clock almost the entire population of Bunnell were gathered in and about the home of Mr. and Mrs. James Biddle, where funeral services, led by Presiding Elder Bell and Rev. H. E. Partridge, were held, the latter delivering a beautiful eulogy to the departed and comforting words to the bereaved, that brought tears to the eyes of all hearers and caused the speaker to almost give way to his heart felt grief.
Two beautiful songs were sung by a quartet composed of Mrs. and Miss Gray, Prof. Bache and Mr. Ambrose, Miss Smith at the piano.
After prayer by Rev. Bell, the funeral cortege wended its way to the last resting place of the departed and there all that was mortal of our well beloved citizen John Harold Biddle was consigned to Mother Earth.
The many floral pieces, beautiful and conveying that expression of sorrow no words can paint, were placed with tender hands on the fresh turned earth that will be a shrine to the love ones left behind where they and all his friends may offer prayer for that eternal peace in the house not made by hands eternal in the heavens.
The pallbearers were Harold Sessions, M. B. Fuller, Paul Stanish, Wise Roper, Victor McKenzie and Ralph Choate.
