From the Blytheville Courier News, Blytheville, Mississippi County, 
Arkansas, dated January 1, 1941:

This Section Has Fewer Fatal Auto Accidents In 1940; 7 Deaths In County

Fatalities in automobile accidents in 1940 dropped sharply from 
the 1939 figure, a year-end check revealed today.  Only nine persons 
died in automobile crashes in Mississippi county and nearby points 
of adjacent southeast Missouri, a decrease of eight from 1939. In 
1938 the number was 27. In 1937 it was 17. Mississippi county 
automobile accident claimed seven lives, a welcome drop from 14 in 
1939 and 20 in 1938, attributed largely to efficiency of the state 
highway patrol.

Guns, Burns Kill

But there was no respite from deaths by guns and burns. Thirteen 
persons were burned to death in a dozen different types of fires 
and accidents.  Guns blazed to cause 10 deaths, including violent 
slayings, accidental shootings and suicides.  Falls, knives and 
drownings claimed three lives and all other causes resulted in four 
additional deaths in Mississippi county and southeast Missouri.  
The 1940 total was 47 deaths of violent nature, as contrasted with 
44 in 1939 and 55 in 1938.

Injured Total 250

Accidents of all types cost varied injuries to more than 250 persons, 
with automobiles the chief culprit in 135 cases and burns injuring 30.  
Guns hurt 15 persons, falls 13 and all other causes, including minor 
and more serious injuries, counted more than 40 persons.

The closing days of December brought tragedy to many homes and shot 
the 1940 fatality total past that of 1939.  December 25, Christmas 
day, resulted in two deaths when 14-year-old Harold Garrison of 
Gosnell was killed by accidental discharge of his gun as he and his 
16-year-old brother hunted rabbits.  The wife of Charley James, 
negro, was stabbed to death by her husband.

The day after Christmas was fatal to two negroes, Major Pierson and 
his 32-year-old wife, in an accident between an automobile containing 
Blytheville negroes and another car in which a number of negroes from 
Wilson were riding.  Four other negroes were injured seriously, the 
negro woman died instantly and the man died the next day.  
Ruby Lee Todd, 20-year-old Blytheville employe of the Rice-Stix 
factory, shot herself through the heart with a shotgun charge after 
unsuccessfully attempting suicide by taking poison.

Brutal Slaying

Lawrence Waldon, 30, Osceola service station attendant, was slain by 
a man or men who robbed his station Friday night, Dec. 27, and 
slugged him in what is said to be one of Mississippi county's most 
brutal slayings.  Police of three states seek the killer or killers 
and rewards of $250 have been posted.

Segregated by months, here's the remainder of the 1940 deaths by 
violence in Mississippi county and southeast Missouri.

JANUARY — Six deaths. 
Jan. 2 - Mrs. John L. Wood, 51, Blytheville, burned to death after 
  she poured kerosene on a fire and Inez Vaught, 14, Pecan Point, died 
  when her clothing caught fire. 
Jan. 10 - A 16-months-old baby, Marie Jones of Keiser, died when she 
  spilled gasoline on her clothing and it became ignited. 
Jan. 21 - Mrs. Paul Howard, 26, Blytheville, was killed and her 
  husband and two children injured seriously when their automobile 
  crashed into an abutment at the Krutz bridge on Highway 61. 
Jan. 22 - Ernest Cummins, 27, Osceola, suffocated when he was caught 
  in a slide of seed at the Ralston-Purina mill. 
Jan. 24 - H. B. Campbell, 35, Blytheville shoe repair shop owner, 
  was dead after being burned in stove explosion Jan. 6.

FEBRUARY — Two deaths.
Feb. 7 — W. H. Forbus, 33, Tyler, died two days after his car crashed 
  into a transpart truck near Holland, Mo.
Feb. 9 — John A. Edrington, 40, prominent Osceola planter, died the 
  day after being bumed in a fire at his home which caused $8,000 damage 
  and trapped the planter. Two children escaped injury when a negro cook 
  dashed through the flames and rescued them.

MARCH — Six deaths.
Mar. 9 — Ellis Foster, 47, Cooter, Mo., shot to death in a fight at a 
  dance.
Mar. 14 — Fred Forsythe, Jr., 30, Cooter, died after being shot at the 
  same time Foster died. 
Mar. 17 — Wiley Gutherrez, 26, Mexican of near Victoria, was stabbed 
  to death in a free-for-all fight between Mexicans. 
Mar. 30 — Jim G. Bush, 40-year-old Blytheville negro, was shot to 
  death in an argument over a 10-cent loan. 
Mar. 31 — John A. Ulm, 67, Blytheville, slashed his wrists with a 
  razor blade and died, and Ruby Fay Self, 13, of near Ashport Ferry 
  landing, burned to death after she poured tractor fuel oil on a fire.

APRIL - Three deaths.
Apr. 20 — Charles Decker, 8, and his brother, Joe, 12, of Half Moon, 
  drowned. Charles was walking across bridge backwards with Joe and 
  fell through hole in bridge. Both were drowned when older boy tried 
  to save him. 
Apr. 21 — Dorothy Pique, 11, Number Nine, died after pouring tractor 
  fuel oil in a fire.

MAY — Three deaths.
May 11 — Billie Alexander, 8, Driver, was killed when his bicycle was 
  struck by an automobile. 
May 12 — Most spectacular accident of the year brought death to 
  William "Red" Davis, 19-year-old Blytheville mechanic in an Old Car 
  Derby at the Fairgrounds track as 3,000 persons watched. His car, an 
  old Maxwell, crashed through the guard rail and over an embankment 
  on a curve and crushed his skull. 
May 14 — Lloyd Houchin, 45, dredge boat operator with the U.S. fleet, 
  shot himself to death at Osceola.

JUNE — Two deaths.
June 14 — A. B. Colston, 52, well known Calumet farmer, died instantly 
  after shooting himself. 
June 26 — Billie Skelton, 25, farmer of near Blytheville, was killed 
  when a north-bound Frisco passenger train passed over his body while 
  he slept on the railroad track.

JULY — One death, none during holiday period. 
July 8 - An unidentified, negro was drowned near Osceola when his 
  skiff was rammed by a large barge.

AUGUST — Three deaths.
Aug. 2 — Edwin E. Mattox, 41, Blytheville farmer, died of a broken 
  neck suffered in a fall to the ground as his team ran away with a 
  hay rake.
Aug. 11 — Mrs. Ed Nettles, of near Marie, died of burns received 
  when she used fuel oil to light a fire.
Aug. 30 — Mittie Dennis, 69, negro, Promised Land, also was burned 
  to death after pouring oil on a fire.

SEPTEMBER — Two deaths.
Sept. 14 — Clyde Robinson, 34-year-old Cooter farmer, shot himself 
  to death after wounding his brother-in-law and father-in-law. 
Sept. 24 — Henry Mosley, 20, Osceola negro, was shot during an 
  altercation while attending a negro entertainment program.

OCTOBER — Four deaths.
Oct. 5 — J. T. Sherrod, 50, Marie farmer, was killed instantly when 
  he was thrown from his wagon as his team ran away. His wife 
  escaped injury when she was thrown clear of the wagon. 
Oct. 10 — Mrs. Earl Johnson, 24, Steele, Mo., died when a shotgun 
  her husband was cleaning accidentally discharged.
Oct. 13 — C. A. Crane, 13, Lost Cane, died when the mule he was 
  riding stumbled and fell, crushing his skull. 
Oct. 31 — Thomas J. Woodruff, 24, Osceola truck driver, was killed 
  at Osceola by a Frisco passenger train which struck his oil truck.

NOVEMBER — Seven deaths.
Nov. 8 — Etta Lewis, negro of near Roseland, was stabbed to death. 
Nov. 10 — Willie Robinson, 40, negro, was shot to death by a 
  neighbor who fired into his home. 
Nov. 14 — A three-months-old Blytheville negro infant was burned 
  to death in a fire. 
Nov. 20 — Eddie Sue Sutton, 5, Promised Land, was struck by a car 
  and killed en route from school to his home. 
Nov. 22 — R. B. Love, 30-year-old negro of Weir, Miss., was struck 
  by an automobile as he walked down a highway near Blytheville.
Nov. 24 — R. Everett Hudson, 45, Winfield. Mo., died when his car 
  was struck by a truck near Holland. 
Nov. 28 — W. M. Garner, 69, farmer and stock dealer of Rockmast, 
  Ga., was killed by a hit-run driver near Blytheville.

DECEMBER — 11 deaths. (Including those previously listed)
Dec. 5 — Alice Clemons, 24, negro woman of Blytheville, was 
  stabbed by an unidentified white man who apparently went berserk 
  in a jammed crowd on a Blytheville street.
Dec. 6 — William Jeffries, Blytheville, died after accidentally 
  drinking a large quantity of poison. 
Dec. 9 — Lee Burks, negro of Joiner, was shot by a white man in 
  a gun battle.

BE CAREFUL IN 1941!