Truman Ray DELOACH

1907 - 1941
Husband of Ora V Parker DeLoach

Truman DeLoach, 34 year old employee of the Big Chain Store in Broadmoor, Shreveport, was instantly killed Sunday afternoon at 6:00 o'clock when he was struck by a car driven by John J. Cook of Jonesboro, as he was crossing
Highway 167, at Dodson, La., to board a north bound bus. Cook and the owner of the 1940 Ford, Homer Rockhold, also of Jonesboro, were arrested near Alexandria, La., Sunday night by state highway officials and returned to Winnfield where they were placed in jail.

Wednesday, District Attorney Harry Fuller filed charges of manslaughter against John J. Cook, and Homer Rockhold was set free after it was established that Cook was driving the car at the time of the accident. Cook was released on $3,000 bond Wednesday. He will be arraigned in district court here November 22.

Mr. DeLoach, who had only been employed in Shreveport about three months, had spent the weekend near Sikes with his wife and children, and was returning to Shreveport at the time of the accident. Witness reported that Mr. DeLoach was at Kornegay's filling station on the west side of Highway 167 and started across the highway to board the north bound bus when the car driven between 70 and 75 miles an hour by Cook in the southern direction struck him before he could get across the black line of the highway. Witnesses also said that Mr. DeLoach tried to avoid the car but was caught by the front bumper, smashed against the fender, and thrown over the car to the other side of the road. His skull was crushed and his left hip and leg broken.

It was reported that Cook made a U turn on a side road several yards from the scene of the accident, stopped and got out of the car to pry the fender off the wheel. Then he drove on toward Winnfield.

Monday afternoon, John J. Cook, who is 28 years of age, told the district attorney that he, Homer Rockhold, and Frank Trotter left Jonesboro Saturday at noon and drove south to a roadside restaurant where they spend the afternoon drinking whiskey. At about five o'clock he said, he took Trotter back to Jonesboro, leaving him there and driving back for Rockhold. He said he did not know whether he or Rockhold were driving the car when DeLoach was struck, but he did remember that Rockhold insisted driving them when they left the restaurant, and he tried to get Rockhold, who side-swiped a car and ran off the road several times, to let him drive.

According to statements made by witnesses, Cook got out on the driver's side of the car when he stopped to pry the fender off the wheel after the accident. Cook advised the district attorney that he did not remember anything about stopping the car, but he did remember walking around the car to find out which fender was bent, and prying the fender off the wheel. He said he thought he struck a cow.

Cook said he is employed at Jonesboro by the Louisiana Power and Light Company. He stated that he served two years in the Oregon penitentiary on statutory charges and was released last Ju__.

Funeral services were held for Mr. DeLoach Monday afternoon at 4:00 o'clock with laymember W. S. Simmons officiating. Interment was in the Fellowship Cemetery north of Sikes, La., under the direction of Norton's Funeral Home.

Mr. DeLoach is survived by his wife, Mrs. Ora DeLoach; two children, Nelwyn, 11 years of age; T. __., 9 years of age, all of Gaars Mill. His father, M. Hiram DeLoach, Rt. 2, Minden; six sisters, Mrs. Viola Maddry, Athens, Texas; Mrs. F. O. Harrison, Miss Estelle DeLoach, and Miss Tressie DeLoach, all of Shreveport; four brothers, W. L. And Allen DeLoach, of Waco, Texas; Meredith DeLoach, Minden; W. E. DeLoach, Shreveport; and many other relatives and friends.

Published in The Winn Parish Enterprise, November 13, 1941

Contributed on 2/4/14 by lanesmeme1
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Record #: 25109

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