Obituary of

LeRoy JACKSON

The Dillon Herald, Dillon, South Carolina
August 30, 1928, Vol. 33, No. 43

LeRoy Jackson Killed By Car
Struck by Auto As He Alighted From a Street Car

LeRoy Jackson son of Mr. Alex Jackson, well known farmer of the Minturn section, was almost instantly killed when struck by an automobile in Asheville. Mr. Jackson who had practiced law in Columbia and after graduation from the University of South Carolina about three years ago, had gone to Asheville to spend a few days before opening an office in Charlotte where is had decided to locate permanently. Following is the Associated Press account of the tragedy:

Asheville, N. C., Aug. 26, - LeRoy Jackson, Columbia attorney in his early 30s, died early this morning at Mission hospital from a cerebral hemorrhage as a result of a fractured skull suffered late last night when struck by an automobile as he alighted from a street car at Merrimon avenue and Hillside street. He never regained consciousness following the accident.

Driver Held

Earl D. Butner, 28 of Spruce Pines, N. C., driver of the automobile was ordered held under bond of $5,000 for his appearance on a charge of manslaughter at the September term of Buncombe county superior court. A corner's jury returned a verdict that the deceased came to his death at the hand of an automobile driven in a dangerous and reckless manner by the defendant.

Mr. Jackson had been a frequent visitor in Asheville during recent years and had planned to open an office for the practice of law in Charlotte during this week. He for several years had been a prominent young member of the Columbia bar.

C. L. Thompson motorman of the street car from which Mr. Jackson alighted testified at the coroner's inquest that he had stopped his car and that Mr. Jackson stepped to the pavement to be violently struck by the onrushing automobile. The motor man further testified that Mr. Jackson was hurled some 18 feet in front of the street car and that the automobile rushed froward more than 100 feet before being brought to a halt.

Patrolman Jack Johnson who investigated the tragedy and made the arrest of Butner, testified that odors indicated that liquor had been in the automobile but that none of the occupants was under the influence of alcoholics.

LeRoy Jackson, page 2

One Armed Driver

Butner is a one armed man and had driven 50 miles with four companions before reaching Asheville.

The body will be sent to Columbia tomorrow for burial at the family homestead near Dillon. The date of interment tonight had not been announced pending word from relatives.

During his visits to Asheville Mr. Jackson had attracted a wide circle of friends and was rather prominently identified in this region as well as his home section of the Carolinas.

Mourned in Columbia

The State

The friends of LeRoy Jackson will be saddened to learn of his death at Asheville hospital.

Mr. Jackson came to Columbia in 1915, studying at the University for three years, the taking a course in Draughon's Business college. For several years he worked in the judge of probate's office in Columbia and served there until the World War. He volunteered his services and was assigned in duties in the judge advocate's office at Camp Jackson, where he remained until the close of the war. After the war, Mr. Jackson entered the automobile business and became state agent for the Paige. He later took a law course at the University and practiced law in Columbia until 1925, when he went to Florida in the real estate business, returning to Columbia and Asheville in 1927. He had been in Asheville for the summer.

Mr. Jackson was a quiet, unassuming man of bright mind and strong character and he numbered his friends by the hundreds. He had lots of fun about him and with his intimate friends, to whom he was known as "Red", he did quite a bit of good natured "kidding" enjoying a joke on himself as well as he enjoyed one on someone else. He had interested himself in real estate, as well as in law for the last few years and for that reason had been out of Columbia, a great deal, though he still called this home and counted Columbia as his residence. As stated in the Asheville dispatch, he had decided, however, to locate permanently in Charlotte with the idea of devoting his full time to the law.

Mr. Jackson was in his early 30s, unmarried and was the son of Alex Jackson and Mrs. Agnes Jackson, whose home is about 11 miles from Dillon. His mother died in 1904. He is survived by his father, Alex Jackson, of Dillon and the following sisters and brothers; Misses Maggie and Agnes Jackson of Dillon; Mrs. Theo Clarkson, of Greeleyville; Mrs. W. S. Heath, of Dorchester; Mrs. C. L. Hart of Swansea; Mrs. A. C. Dibble of Orangeburg, and Buford Jackson of Columbia. The body arrived in Dillon Monday night and was taken to Mr. Jackson's boyhood home near Minturn. Interment was made at the Murchison burying ground Tuesday.

Submitted by David Jackson, Aug 2004.

NOTE: Leroy Jackson was the son of Alexander and Agnes Bufort Jackson. Obituary sent to me from the personal files of Helen Moody. --dj