Excerpted from “Our Creswell Letter”

A most horrible death occurred about 2 1/2 miles from town, last Saturday morning.   One B. Franklin WATSON and one Joseph SMITH was cutting timber for Messrs.  L.H. Creesy & Bro., and in felling a large pine it struck an adjacent tree which knocked a large limb out of the falling tree and struck said WATSON on the back of his head crushing it in and breaking his neck, and of course killed him instantly. Said SMITH also was struck by the same limb on his leg, carrying away a large part of his pants but received no serious damage further than a severe fright.

What a sad and terrible blow it was for WATSON’s young wife (whom he had left but an hour or two before in perfect health) to hear that her husband was dead, and to realize that she and her infant babe was thrown upon the cold charities of the world, with no strong arm to lean upon.

WATSON’s death should serve as a warning to all of us, to prepare for death, for “in such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man cometh.”

Source: Roanoke Beacon,  16 August 1889.  Available online at digitalnc.org.