White, Walker "Whitie"

Walker "Whitie" White, 23 years old, 221 North Main Street, Commerce Oklahoma, and Charles Pendley, 25, Seventh and E streets northwest, Miami, were critically injured at the L. & G. Mine on the Picher-Cardin Oklahoma highway shortly before 6 last night when the can in which they were being hoisted from the mine shaft crashed into the sheave wheel of the hoisting equipment in the derrick. Pendley's right arm was severed at the shoulder and he suffered a severe nervous shock. White, received a badly injured back, which may prove to be broken, and internal injuries of a serious nature. Both men are at the American hospital at Picher Oklahoma where they were taken in an ambulance of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher. White was employed as a machine man and Pendley was a machine helper. The men were hoisted from the shaft by Andrew Martin, a tub hooker at the mine who was assisting the hoisterman in making repairs in the hoister room. He hoisted the men from the ground in the absence of the hoisterman, who had gone to the blacksmith shop to secure repairs. During an investigation by district mine inspector Riley Clark regarding the cause of the accident, Martin stated that the friction did not properly release to prevent the can from crashing into the sheave wheel. In his report of the accident, inspector Clark stated today that it was due to failure to instruct the hoisterman properly as to requirements of the state mining laws pertaining in the duties of a hoisterman. Clark explained that although Martin has had four years' experience as a hoisterman, he was not regularly employed in this capacity at this mine and had no right to handle the hoist even with the permission of the regular hoisterman. Inspector Clark today issued a warning against hoisterman allowing anyone else to operate the hoist and that mining companies see that no one but regularly employed hoisterman act in this capacity in hoising men from the shaft. He also emphasized that no one is allowed to ride from the top of the shaft to the hoister room unless to make repairs or for an inspection. Martin said he has not been regularly employed as a hoisterman for the last three years.

The condition of Walker White, and Charles Pendley, who were seriously injured in a mine accident sometime ago, are slowly improving, according to an attendant at the American Hospital.

Picher Oklahoma, Aug 27 Walker Neal White, 23 years old, of Commerce Oklahoma, died at a local hospital at 4 yesterday afternoon as a result of injuries received June 11 at the L. & G. Mine when a can in which he and a companion were being hoisted from the mine was allowed to crash into the shive wheel in the derrick. White suffered a broken back and internal injuries. Surviving are his wife, Mrs. Loretta White; a small daughter, Lillian White; his father, Charles White of Bristow Oklahoma; his mother, Mrs. Charles Grubbs of Diamond Missouri; a brother, Everett White of Bristow and three sisters, Mrs. Thelma Carr of Joplin, Missouri, Mrs. Iris Gove and Mrs. Ethel Fraley, of Webb City, Missouri. Funeral services will be conducted at the Methodist church in Commerce at 10 tomorrow morning. The pastor, the Rev. R. F. Franklin, will officiate. Burial will be at Carterville Missouri, under direction of the Mitchelson undertaking company of Commerce.