Farm Mishap Fatal To Ina Area Youth

A 16-year-old Mt. Vernon High School student from Ina was killed instantly yesterday in an unusual farm accident in southwest Jefferson county. He was converting a harvesting machine from corn picking to wheat combining purposes. Dead in the accident is David Lee Clinton, 16, son of Mr. and Mrs Melvin W. Clinton. Coroner John Richardson said a two-foot long metal bar was released under pressure and struck the youth in the back of the neck, inflicting a guillotine type fatal injury. The youth was reaching into the inner workings of the machine to release a pin on a spring. His head and neck were stretched over another bar when the other end of the spring was accidentally released, causing the heavy bar to slam onto the back of his neck. The victim was working on tlie farm of Howard McCollum when the accident occurred. The Clinton family lives northwest of Ina.

Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Wednesday at the Free Will Baptist Church with the Rev. Leslie Elliott, and the Rev. James Benton officiating. The Ina Funeral Home will be in charge of services. Friends may call there after 4 p.m. today. Burial will be at the Kirk Cemetery.

The youth was born Jan. 10. 1951, in Jefferson county, the son of Melvin W. and Ruby (Cook) Clinton. He would have been a junior at Mt. Vernon High this fall.

Survivors include the parents; one brother, Eugene Clinton of West Frankfort; one sister, Mrs. Loretta Fowler of Ina; grandparents, Mr. and Mr. Ray Cook of Ina and Mrs. Rosie Clinton of Ina.

Source: Mt. Vernon Register-News
Date: June 20, 1967
Submitted by: Robert W. Loman