John Stanwood Cason - Submitted for the USGenWeb by Richard P. Sevier 7/21/2012 USGenWeb NOTICE: All documents placed in the USGenWeb remain the property of the contributors, who retain publication rights in accordance with US Copyright Laws and Regulations. In keeping with our policy of providing free information on the Internet, these documents may be used by anyone for their personal research. They may be used by non-commercial entities, when written permission is obtained from the contributor, so long as all notices and submitter information are included. These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit. Any other use, including copying files to other sites, requires permission from the contributors PRIOR to uploading to the other sites. ************************************************************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. ************************************************************************************************ John Stanwood Cason - Madison Parish, Louisiana From Tallulah Madison Journal September 7, 1929 Two Killed in Airplane Crash Plane goes into tailspin while stunting; Then Crashes John Stanwood Cason, student flier, aged 20 years, and Eugene H. Schildhauser, licensed pilot, aged 24 years, both employed by the Southern Dusting Company of Tallulah, were instantly killed about five o'clock Wednesday afternoon when their plane went into a tailspin and crashed from a height of about 2,000 feet into a field on Panola Plantation about three miles north of town. Both fliers were mangled almost beyond recognition. The plane did not take fire after the crash. The force of pilots and mechanics of the Southern Dusting Company had been at work transforming a dusting plane into a passenger plane and were making a final test flight when they met their death. Ward Holt and Albert Nicols had had the plane up a few minutes before and had returned to the ground. Without stopping the motor Cason and Schildhauser stepped into the plane and took it up. The boys at the field were watching the plane when the accident happened. The plane did a barrel-roll, then a wing-over and went into a tailspin to the ground. Controls were in the cockpit and were in charge of Schildhauser. According to Mr. Eugene Stevens, manager of the Southern Dusting Company, the cause of the accident was believed due to the fact that Schildhauser, at the controls became momentarily became unconscious from the stunting and it was at that time that the plane went into the tailspin. It went practically straight into the earth from about 2,000 feet and its speed when it struck the ground was estimated about 250 miles per hour. The plane was completely demolished and the bodies of the fliers crushed almost beyond recognition. The plane, a Waco, was in good condition, it was stated, other fliers having taken it up for a test a few minutes before the fatal flight. Ward Holt, who was watching the plane from the field with Bob Tate were the first to reach the scene of the accident. Young Cason was reared in Tallulah and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Cason. Mr. Cason is Assessor for Madison Parish. "Son", as he is familiarly known here is survived by his parents, two brothers, Henry and Alnutt and three sisters, Mrs. Douglas Fortner, Mrs. Albert Sherwin and Caroline. The funeral was held in Tallulah from the home of his parents on Thursday afternoon, Rev. H. W. Rickey and Rev. C. N. Kimberlin officiating. Rev. D. C. Barr, a beloved former minister of the Tallulah Methodist Church was present. The sympathy of the community was attested by the number of friends present and the large number of floral offerings. Schildhauser was the only son of a prominent and wealthy Syracuse, N.Y., family, his father being the vice-president of the Sobay(?) Process Company, engaged in the manufacture of baking powder products. His father was also consulting engineer on the Panama Canal and is now an airplane engineer. The young aviator was a graduate of New York Military Academy and after leaving school developed a taste for aviation. He went to Brooks Field and was in the famous class of 1925 with Linbergh, Eugene Stevens and other pilots, some of which are known here in Tallulah. He was unmarried and considered a veteran flier, having constantly engaged in aviation for the past three or four years. His remains were taken to Vicksburg to await word from his parents.