Mr. Thomas Tate Accidentally Killed Tuesday

Prominent Insurance Representative of Cliffside Dies Instantly When Gun is Accidentally Discharged.

From the Forest City Courier, June 19, 1930

Cliffside, June 17—One of the most tragic events that ever happened in this section occurred Tuesday morning, June 17th, when Mr. Tom Tate accidentally shot himself with a shot gun in front of his home on Park Avenue East. Mrs. J. Y. Padgett who resides on Main street was in her front yard and hearing the shot went at once to the corner two lots above her where she saw Mr. Tate fall back into the gutter. She ran to him and raised his head and said that he looked up into her face and breathed two or three times and was dead without speaking.

Coroner Hightower was immediately summoned and a jury decided unanimously that Mr. Tate came to his death by accident. At. this time we cannot give all the particulars with verity as to how he came to have a gun in his car. It was said that he was going fishing and was taking it with him, but later it was said that the gun had been borrowed by a friend and as he was there ii. had been returned to him at the borne of the friend and he was taking it from the car to place it in the house when the trigger hung on the brake lever of the car and the entire load of shot entered his body near the heart.

Mr. Tate was one of the best known and liked men in this section and was in the insurance business. He was always ready with a smile and a cheery word for every one he met and his sudden and tragic passing has brought gloom and sadness to the hearts of all who knew him. As we write this all is confusion and it is hard for the writer who feels he has lost one of the best friends he ever had to write of it.

His family and friends are almost prostrated with grief. He was the son of Mr. and Mrs. G. W. Tate who resides near Henrietta, and a brother of Mr. Charles C. Tate, of Forest City, and Rev. W. T. Tate, pastor of the Baptist church at Pacolet, S. C. Mrs. Clinton Beason, of near Cliffside and Mrs. Fannie Crawford of Greenville, S. C., are sisters surviving, also two half sisters, Misses Ellen and Pearl Tate. His wife, Mrs. Pearl Jolley Tate and three children, Donald, Inez and Gladys, are the members of his immediate family.

Tate was 36 years of age. He has been engaged in the insurance business for eight years, and during that time has made hundreds of friends throughout the county.

Funeral services will be held from the Cliffside Baptist church Thursday afternoon (today) at two o’clock. J. C. Smith, of Erwin, Tenn.,will assist the pastor, Rev. J. Allen Hunnicutt in conducting the services. Interment will be in the Cliffside cemetery.

Reprinted with permission from The Daily Courier. Copyright owned by The Daily Courier.

Death Of Mr. T.S. Tate

From the Forest City Courier, June 26, 1930

Funeral services were held the Baptist church last Thursday at 2:30 p.m. for Mr. T.S. Tate who was accidentally shot last Tuesday morning when he was removing a gun from his car in front of his home.

The wings and balcony were all filled with sorrowing friends and some said that others were outside the church. The pastor, Rev. J. A. Hunnicntt was in charge of the service assisted by Rev. D. J. Hunt and Rev. Roscoe Smith, both former pastors. Rev. Hunt spoke of his pastorate here of more than seven years and the pleasant associations; the loyalty of Mr. Tate to his church and of his willingness to serve whenever and wherever he was needed. Rev. Smith then spoke of the beautiful christian life of Mr. Tate and said that there were five crowns mentioned in the Bible that he felt were won by the departed. The first: The Crown of Life mentioned in James 1:12, and Rev. 2.10. The second, mentioned in lst Cor. 9:21 is the Incorruptable Crown of Service and Rewards. The third: The Crown of the soul winner, Phil. 4:1. The fourth: The Crown of Glory, 1st Peter 5:1. The fifth: The Crown of Righteousness, 2nd Tim. 4:8.

Rev. Hunnicutt stated that since the passing of Mr. Tate a verse of scripture had been ringing in his mind; “Know ye not that this day a prince and great and mighty man is fallen in Israel?”

These men spoke of the years of service rendered by Mr. Tate to the church and the community. At the time of his going he was a member of the Board of Deacons, teacher of the Berean Bible class and chief usher. He was modest and, though always ready for service, still remained in the back ground. It was this spirit of meek Modesty and his love for his fellowman his readiness to render service at all times which so endeared him to the hearts of his host of triends. He is gone but has left behind something of great value, a life of usefulness, good works and an influence for good. After the service at the church the body was interred in a lot in the local cemetery and the mound completely covered with many beautiful floral tributes and a number of designs on stands surrounding the mound.

The active pall bearers were Messrs. Dewey McDaniel, Quay Byars, John Robinson, Jesse Honeycutt, Pink Honeycutt, B. C. McDaniel, Hoyle Black and Cecil Bridges. All were members of Mr. Tate’s Sunday school class and other members of the class and the board of deacons were honorary pall bearers. Some of the members of the class numbering ninety two were with the Junior Order who attended the funeral in a body and sat just behind the family at the funeral.

Part of the flowers were carried by Misses Fredia Jolley, Hazel Grigg, Ilene Scruggs, Eloise Sargee, Ferne Pruett, Sue Kanipe, Mildred Kanipe, Eunice Simmons, Jessie Jackson, Ruby Gosey and Mesdames Marvin White, Hoyle Lovelace, DeWitt Causby, H. Cashe.

 

Reprinted with permission from The Daily Courier. Copyright owned by The Daily Courier.