LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois County, Missouri, Friday, December 1, 1933 TRUCK KILLS SMALL BOY NEAR SCHOOL ____________ Coroners Jury Returns Verdict of Unavoidable Accident At Inquest Held Tuesday ____________ Leonard Herschel Cook, 8 year old Esther boy, was instantly killed Monday afternoon when he was struck by a truck driven by Ed. Hogenmiller. The body was removed to the Caldwell Funeral Home where Thomas E. McKinney, assistant prosecuting attorney, and Coroner Cozean conducted an inquest Tuesday morning at ten o'clock. Noah Umfleet, an eye witness to the accident, testified that he was seventy-five feet away when the truck hit the child. Leonard and another child were running across the highway from the right to the left side of the road between Larkin's store and the post office. Hogenmiller applied his brakes and swerved the truck but the right side of the truck hit the child and knocked him down, the wheels crushing his head. Mr. Umfleet said it was 3:40 p.m. Wm. Montgomery, deputy sheriff, testified that he jacked up the truck and tried the brakes and found them in good condition. Charles McMullin corroborated Montgomery's statement. Fred Boren followed them on the stand and stated that he was twenty steps away at the time of the accident and he estimated that the truck was traveling at less than twenty-five miles an hour. He said he first saw the child about fifteen feet in front of the truck as he and his companion started to run across the street. One child succeeded in getting across the street in front of the truck but the other hesitated and seemed confused. Harry Rosenstingle, a member of the Esther school faculty, testified that he was called to the scene and found that the child's body was still lying on the highway and the truck was sixty-five feet away. He stated that the Cook child was a third grade pupil. The jury returned a verdict that Herschel Cook came to his death by being struck with a one ton International truck driven by Ed. Hogenmiller. Accident unavoidable. Leonard Herschel Cook, son of Bert M. and Hazel C. Cook, was born at Esther, Mo., April 2, 1925 and was at the time of his death 8 years, 7 months and 25 days of age. Funeral services were held at the Esther Methodist Church at 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, November 29, 1933, by Rev. McKinney. Interment was made in the Three Rivers Cemetery.