On Wednesday of this week, at Jacksonville, Rev. W. E. Goode, of this city, said the words which united for life the heart and hand of Mr. Geo. H. Eads and Miss Anna Wilson, both of Medford.
    The bride is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Wilson. She is a very fine, accomplished and most estimable young lady and has friends in untold number among her young friends. The groom is a son of J. T. Eads, one of Medford's business men. He is a gentleman of sterling qualities, and a good hustling man of business.
    The Mail joins the very many friends of this young couple in wishing them years upon years of happiness and prosperity.
    A wedding supper was served at the residence of the bride's parents, on West Seventh Street, Wednesday evening and at which the friends of Mr. and Mrs. Eads were in attendance.
    These young people will commence housekeeping in the Erford residence in West Medford, which property Mr. Eads has purchased and which he has fitted and furnished for the reception of his bride.

Medford Mail Tribune, November 11, 1920, page 6


    Southern Pacific passenger train No. 13, due here at 9:17 a.m., struck a Ford truck at the crossing north of the express office about 9:15 this morning. Five men were riding on the truck. Two were killed and three were badly injured, while a sixth on horseback was thrown against the train but was not seriously injured.
    The dead are: William Eads of Grants Pass, who died en route to the Sacred Heart Hospital.
    W. J. Smith of Grants Pass, who died shortly after arrival at the hospital.
    The injured are J. C. Eads, 50, of Grants Pass, father of William Eads, and John Eads. Severe bruises and cuts about the head. J. C. Eads was the owner and driver of the truck.
    Joe Anderson, 17, of Grants Pass. Fracture of the elbow and suspected fracture of the skull. Suffering with convulsions. Small but possible chance for recovery.
    Frank Willmarth, of Grants Pass. Cuts and bruises. Expected to recover.
    John Eads, 17. Concussion of the brain. Slight injuries. Not serious.
    John Eads is another son of J. C. Eads, owner of the truck. He was riding a horse in the rear of the truck and was thrown from it against the train but miraculously escaped serious injury.
    The other five men were riding on the truck and the party it is understood was bound for a prospecting tour in Northern California. They were carrying supplies and bedding with them and gave the appearance of having intentions of prospecting for gold while en route, as a gold pan and several picks and shovels were in the equipment.
    The men had come from Grants Pass this morning and were westbound on Third Street. They were traveling at a speed of about 15 miles per hour when they started to cross the track. It seemed as though they had no knowledge of the presence of the train and they ran onto the crossing with no apparent realization that the train was near. The report that the driver was endeavoring to beat the train to the crossing is believed to be unfounded, according to eyewitnesses interviewed today.
    The engine struck the truck directly in the middle and carried it 27 yards south of the crossing where it was deposited facing in the opposite direction from which it had been when on the crossing, Two of the injured men were lying on the west side of the track and three on the east side when the train stopped in addition to John Eads, who had been riding the horse and who was walking around in a dazed condition on the east side of the track.
    When the engine came in contact with the vehicle one would have suspected that it was carrying dynamite, as loaves of bread, rolls of blankets, bodies and all things contained by the truck were catapulted in all directions.
    The whistle of the train screeched a warning just prior to and during the collision. The engine stopped before it reached the express office.
    In a remarkably short time a large crowd gathered at the scene of the accident, and passengers from the train endeavored to make the injured men comfortable, all of whom excepting John Eads were unconscious.
    The coroner and several doctors arrived in about five minutes and the men were all taken to the hospital.
    A letter addressed to C. E. Eads of this city was found in the wreck, but the Eads brothers of this city, who are engaged in the transfer business here, state that to the best of their knowledge none of the men involved in the accident were their relatives.
    J. C. Eads is the father of eight children, two of whom were with him when the accident occurred. Mrs. Eads, and the other children, excepting one who is married, live in Grants Pass.
    Eyewitnesses of the accident, as far as can be ascertained at present, attach no blame to the engineer and fireman of the locomotive.
    The date of the investigation by a coroner's jury has been set for tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock.
    The accident is the worst of its kind that has happened here in some years. Many comments were heard on the street today declaring the tragedy to be a warning to drivers who may be observed any day in the week endeavoring to beat Southern Pacific trains across the track at any of the three crossings in the city. Many citizens also urged action on proposed overhead crossings, and the placing of railroad gates at all crossings within the city limits.
Medford Mail Tribune, April 24, 1922, page 1  These Eads were not related to the Medford Eads.


    According to the signed statement of J. C. Eads, driver of the truck which was struck by S.P. train 13 Monday morning, resulting in the death of two men and the serious injury of a third, he tried to beat the train over the crossing when he decided that by applying the emergency brakes he would stop directly in front of it. Mr. Eads also said in his statement that he heard no whistle, heard no bell, and looked both to the right and left, but that his view was obstructed to the right, and he failed to see the approaching train, until it was almost on him.
    When turning toward the railroad track Eads also declared in his statement that someone on the truck, he believes W. J. Smith, who was killed, said something about "everything being clear," and the assumption is this remark caused him to drive on before the view up the track was clear.
    That the train whistled for every crossing, however, that the bell was ringing throughout, and that a view of the train was possible sufficient distance from the crossing for the truck to have stopped or turned aside was deduced from the evidence of both the engineer and fireman of the train, supported by a mass of evidence of witnesses, both at the coroner's inquest yesterday and the railroad hearing this morning conducted by D. S. Weir, assistant superintendent of Roseburg.
    Regarding the placing of a warning bell at the Third Street crossing, similar to the bells at other crossings in the city, officials of the railroad company at the inquiry this morning declared that there being several tracks at this crossing, several bells would have to be installed, and that the crossing is not considered as dangerous as the other crossings, as a reasonable view of the track can be obtained. The railroad officials also expressed the view that automatic signals like bells and moving arms represent a hazard, because they may go out of order, and if the public depends upon them, deaths might result as a direct cause.
    Both the reports of the coroner's jury and the investigation board absolved the railroad employees of all blame, and declared the precise reason of the men on the truck not hearing the signals of the train was not "obtainable."
    The following report was turned in yesterday afternoon by the coroner's jury:
    "The verdict of the coroner's jury composed of Messrs. C. E. Gates, F. E. Blackburn, Wm. McGowan, W. L. Halley, G. B. Alden and C. K. Webber was as follows: We the coroner's jury empaneled to investigate the cause of the death of the deceased find that the said William Eads and William Junior Smith came to their deaths on the morning of April 24th, 1922, between the hour of nine and nine-thirty by running their truck upon the tracks of the Southern Pacific at the Third Street, crossing immediately in front of an approaching train, train No. 13, southbound, same striking the truck containing the persons above mentioned. Parties driving the truck apparently were unaware of the approaching train although the warning signal was given by the engineman and fireman. We do not find wherein the railroad company or its employees were in any way to blame for said accident. Cause for the deceased not hearing signals is unobtainable. (Signed)
    "C. E. GATES.
    "F. E. BLACKBURN.
    "W. H. McGOWAN.
    "W. L. HALLEY.
    "GEO. B. ALDEN.
    "C. K. WEBBER."
    William Eads was eighteen years of age and W. J. Smith was 52.
    The jury visited the scene of the accident and then returned to the coroner's office and heard the testimony of the following witnesses:
    James McDonald, Z. Arnold, Floyd Pickel, W. R. Coleman, E. W. Miller, Cash Woods, Tom Norris, Ned French and the engineer and fireman of the train.
    It developed at the inquest that the report that John Eads had been riding a horse and was thrown from it was unfounded. The representative of the Mail Tribune, the conductor of the train and Floyd Pickel all questioned the boy directly after the accident, as he was the only conscious member of the party. He stated that he had been riding the horse and gave four of the names of members of the truck party. However he was in a state of delirium and was unable to tell positively where he had been at the time of the accident. It now becomes evident that he was riding on the truck, and according to his written statement jumped just as the truck was struck, which accounts for his escaping severe injury.
    It was the belief of spectators at the accident that the horse belonged to one of the injured men and it was taken to the Gitzen livery barn. It developed later [that] the horse really belonged to E. W. Miller, one of the witnesses at the inquest, and he had been riding it near the corner of Third and Central streets when the accident occurred. He was busy caring for the injured men and did not notice at the time that his horse was taken to the barn nor did he have time to inform persons inquiring into the details of the accident that he had been its rider.
    Exceptionally sad circumstances surround the families of two of the victims of the auto truck-train wreck of Monday in Medford. The Grants Pass Courier says:
    Left practically penniless with their wage earners dead or in a critical condition in the Medford hospital, the families of W. J. Smith and J. C. Eads are today facing a serious condition. Grief and despair entered these homes yesterday and not even the many kindnesses of the people of the city have been able to mitigate their suffering. When the menfolks left to seek work in California to keep their families in food and clothing, they hoped to send back their wages in a few days. Their untimely end left these families without sufficient funds to even give them the burial they deserve. They can see nothing but hopelessness ahead.
    The Courier today has started a fund with a $10 donation. The money received will be turned over to the Salvation Army to do with as they see best in alleviating the distress in the stricken homes. All donations, no matter how small, will be received at the Courier office and will do much to soften their misfortunes and trials. Mrs. Smith was left without sufficient food to last a week. The Eads family has been in straitened circumstances all winter.
Medford Mail Tribune, April 26, 1922, page 1  These Eads were not related to the Medford Eads.


Medford Mail Tribune, April 27, 1922, page 1  These Eads were not related to the Medford Eads.