AUTO KILLS TWO PERSONS; DRIVER HELD

Woman and Child Struck Down While Crossing Highway

Two charges of murder were filed Tuesday in the court of Justice E. H. Turner against Raymond Douglas, 21, driver of an automobile which struck down and killed two persons Saturday night on the highway near U. S. Veterans’ Bureau Hospital, Legion. Douglas was remanded to jail in default of $2,000 bond to await action of the next grand jury.

Funeral services were held Monday for the two victims of the tragic crash, Mrs. Essie Jenkins, 39, and Annie Ruth Babineaux, 3½ years old.

Mrs. Jenkins and the Babineaux child, who was in her care, were instantly killed at 8 o’clock Saturday night when a service car owned by the 200 Bus Line and operated by Douglas struck them while they were crossing the road in front of Mrs. Jenkins’ residence, two and half miles southeast of the city. Both bodies were badly mutilated and death was instantaneous.

Two sisters of the Babineaux child, Myrtle and Bernice, and Mrs. Jenkins’ 15-year-old son, Clyde, were with the victims; but they succeeded in safely crossing the road before the bus, a five-passenger sedan, rounded a curve and took its toll of life. Douglas was enroute to the Legion Hospital in answer to a call. No passengers were in the car.

According to eye-witnesses, Mrs. Jenkins was leading the Babineaux tot when their lives were snuffed out by the terrific impact of the car. The child was tossed several feet by the crash and the woman was dragged a considerable distance before her lifeless body was released.

After the accident, the driver hastened to a nearby phone and summoned an ambulance, which rushed Mrs. Jenkins to the Secor Hospital. She was pronounced dead and the body was removed to Haines Funeral Home.

Van Goff, employee of the Government Hospital, who was passing by, placed the mangled body of the Babineaux baby in his car and speeded to the hospital. The baby’s body was later taken in charge by Peterson’s Funeral Service.

Witnesses declared that the death car traveled a distance of about 100 yards after the accident before it came to a stop.

A short time after the bodies were removed to Kerrville, Douglas surrendered to Motorcycle Officer Bob Zigler. He was later taken into custody by Constable Frank Moore and placed in the county jail pending the filing of formal charges.

Funeral services for the Babineaux child were held Monday morning at 8 o’clock in St. Mary’s Church, with Rev. Father Kemper officiating. Interment was made in Glen Rest Cemetery.

The child’s mother died about two years ago. She is survived by her father, Edwin Babineaux; three sisters, Mrs. George Smith, Myrtle and Bernice Babineaux; and three brothers, Wesley, John and Curly Babineaux, all of Kerrville.

Mrs. Jenkins was laid to rest in Center Point Cemetery Monday afternoon, after services conducted there by Rev. J. M. Storms, Baptist pastor. She was a native of Rusk, and for the past several months had been employed at the U. S. Veterans’ Bureau Hospital. Surviving relatives are three sons, Ernest, Nolan and Clyde; a sister, Mrs. Bertie Mathews of Crockett, and one brother, W. J. Bartholomew of Rusk.