Halloween weekend is over, but you can still indulge your morbid curiosity. As mortal beings, death is of particular fascination to us: inevitable and unpredictable. While most of us will leave this Earth naturally, here is a list of some Kentuckians who weren’t so lucky.
Horsin’ Around
On August 3, 1904 Marvin Sharp (12) and Bub Hamill engaged in a friendly race in Slick Rock, Kentucky six miles from Glasgow. Sharp was riding a bicycle while his opponent rode on horseback. During the race, Hamill was unable to control the horse and accidentally trampled Sharp and his bike.
Early Retirement
Robert “Worth” Bingham, Jr. was the next of the Louisville Binghams in line to take over the Courier-Journal. However, Worth would never get the chance to see it through. On the morning of July 12, 1965 while vacationing in Nantucket, Worth left for the beach to catch a few waves. He placed his surfboard in the backseat of his convertible. When his car was rear-ended, the surfboard swung around and crushed Worth’s neck, killing the young family heir.
Shafted
Chandler Hugh Jackson wasn’t from Kentucky, but Texas. He was visiting Cunningham, Kentucky for a golf tournament at Dogwood Hill golf club July 6, 2005. The 12 year-old-boy was reported to have been running with a golf club when he fell, broke the club, and pierced his aorta.
Jack be Nimble, Jack be Quick
On July 14, 1908 Jack Beard (35), was plowing his cornfield when a severe storm began to blow in over Casey Creek. Jack unhooked his plow and began to ride toward the safety of his home where his mother anxiously awaited, but Jack would never make it in from the field. A bolt of lightning struck Beard, killing him and his two horses.
Early Derailment
Two hours Southeast of Louisville is Somerset. On July 21, 1957 five boys: Ronald Davis (17), James Richards (16), Charlie Simmons (15), Charles Allen (14), and James Calhoun (11) had enjoyed a day of swimming and were riding around the country when they decided to pick Josephine Allen (18), Francis Allen (16) and Jeanetta Bray (15). Moments after picking up the girls, a Southern Railway at Clifty Crossing struck the teenagers’ automobile, killing all eight.
Bad News Bear
Herman Antle, a junior at Male High School, was a courier for the Courier-Journal and The Louisville Times. On June 7, 1944 Antle’s job ended up killing him. Antle found himself in a dispute with John Thomas, 27, over Thomas’s inability to pay his bill. Antle explained to Thomas that his newspaper service would be discontinued. Thomas did not take kindly to this and took matters into his own hands, giving Antle several blows to the head with bare fists. Antle died of a cerebral hemorrhage and Thomas was sentenced to ten years in prison.
Cover Photo Courtesy of Shutterstock/Chatrawee Wiratgasem
