Thorp, Albert L.

Picher Oklahoma, Jan 5 Albert L. Thorp, 26 years old, of Joplin Missouri, was smothered to death this morning when he fell into a hopper of sand and loose gravel in the tailing mill at the Southern Lead and Zinc Mine, two miles northwest of Picher. When fellow employees noted Thorp's absence and looked into the hopper, they saw one of his feet protruding from the mass of tailings. While several workers labored to extricate the body, others rushed to Picher Oklahoma, and returned with a pulmotor and Dr. V. V. Vutler of the American hospital of Picher. After more than 15 minutes of feverish digging, the rescuers loosened the tenacious hold of the mass on the body and applied the pulmotor. The resuscitation effort failed, however, and the doctor, after an examination said Thorp apparently had been buried in the hopper 30 minutes before his plight was discovered. Thorp's job was to regulate the hopper, fellow employees said, and he often had to reach into it to dislodge clogged masses of gravel. They expressed the belief that he toppled into the hopper while engaged in this work, and was sucked under the mass when the hopper resumed operation. Thorp was married. Besides his widow, he leaves his parents, Mr. and Mrs. W. S. Thorp, who live in Joplin Missouri, and three brothers. Funeral arrangements have not been completed. The body is at the Todd undertaking company, of Picher.

No funeral arrangements have been made for Albert L. Thorp, 26 years old, of Joplin Missouri, who was smothered to death yesterday when buried by chat at the Southern Mine. The body was taken to his home in Joplin today. The funeral will be in charge of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher Oklahoma.

The funeral of Albert L. Thorp, 26 years old, who met death Wednesday at the Southern Mine when buried in a hopper at a chat mill, was held at the family home in Joplin Missouri at 2:30 o'clock this afternoon. The Rev. Love of Joplin officiated. Burial was in the Fairview cemetery by the Todd undertaking company, of Picher Oklahoma.