Terry, Dewey G.

Dewey George Terry, 24 years old, a former Miami School of Mines athlete, was suffocated in a drill hole on the Kitty Mining Company lease, two miles west of Picher Oklahoma, shortly after 3 Wednesday afternoon, Jun 27, 1923, and three other workmen were temporarily overcome by foul air when they attempted to drag his body from the hole. Terry, married little more than a month ago, had entered the drill hole to recover a wrench, and his life was snuffed out by foul air. The youth recently announced his secret marriage several weeks ago to Miss Geneva Loafman, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. D. B. Loafman, 10 C street Southwest, Miami. Paul Terry, brother of the dead man; Tom Abbott, of Picher, a truck driver, and John Horn, also of Picher, were overcome by the foul air, Paul Terry and Abbott have recovered, but Horn is still confined to his home, although his condition is not serious physicians say. According to Paul Terry, he and the other men present had seen his brother enter the drill hole, about an 18 inch opening which was less than 12 feet deep. When, after a few minutes, the youth failed to return to the top of the ground his fellow workers investigated.

Dewey was seen lying at the bottom of the hole, gasping for breath. He had uttered no cry for help, the foul air apparently having overcome him almost instantly, Paul said. Paul Terry was the first to enter the drill hole in an endeavor to recover his brother's body. He lowered himself, head foremost, while the other men held his feet. After Paul had grasped his brother around the waist, he lost his hold and Dewey's body slipped back into the hole. As Paul attempted to obtain another hold he was overcome by the foul air and it was necessary for the other men to pull him from the hole. Abbott, the truck driver, was the next to enter the hole, but he also was overcome. Horn, the last man to enter the opening, was overcome by foul air a second after he had slipped a rope over Dewey Terry's body and both men were pulled from the drill hole.

John Minnick, a superintendent for the Kitty Company, probably saved the lives of the three who were overcome by contriving a bellows of canvas to supply the trio with air until the arrival of an ambulance and Pulmotor. It was not until after the Pulmotor was applied that it was learned that Dewey Terry was dead. The others were revived by the Pulmotor, rushed to the scene in the Todd ambulance from Picher Oklahoma. Paul said his brother was in the drill hole probably an hour before he was brought to the surface. The Terry brothers were working on a drill rig operated by George Provine of Miami, on the Kitty Mine lease at the time of the accident. Dewey was employed as a tool dresser.

Besides his wife and brother living in Miami, the youth is survived by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. George Terry, of Pauls Valley Oklahoma. Funeral services were held at 3:30 Thursday afternoon at the First Christian church, conducted by the Rev. A. P. Cameron. The body will be sent by the Richardville funeral home to Pauls Valley for burial.