Son of John E. & Margaret

DAILY SENTINEL, ROME, N. Y.,
TUESDAY EVENING, SEPTEMBER 7, 1943

Oneida
RITES CONDUCTED
FOR W. J. FLAGLER


Prominent Athlete Stricken
After Fall; Coroner
Slates Inquest

Oneida, Sept. 7 -Rites for Wilbur
J. Flagler, 40, prominent athlete,
who died Saturday night in
City Hospital, 24 hours after he
was pitched onto his head in Madison
Square in a collision of a car
and motorcycle, were held this
morning in St. Joseph's Church by
the Rev. John P. Lauer, pastor.
Burial was in St. Patrick's Cemetery.
Flagler died, according to authorities
from a fractured skull.
At the time of the mishap, Flagler
was riding on the rear seat of
a motorcycle operated by Ray
Golley. The motorcycle figured in
a collision with a car operated by
Robert Monroe, 337 Lenox Ave.
Both men on the cycle were
thrown to the pavement. Golley
was treated from abrasion to the
forehead. Flagler declined medical
attention and was taken to his
home by a friend. About two
hours later he suffered a hemorrhage
and was rushed to City
Hospital.
Monroe was arrested Saturday noon
by Patrolman George Murphy
for driving a car without an
operator's license. Pleading guilty
to the charge before City Judge
Ronald J. Dunn, Monroe, was
fined $10 which he paid. Coroner
Otto Pfaff plans to conduct an
inquest this week to determine
the cause of the accident.
Flagler, a sheet metal worker
by trade, had been employed the
past year at the Rome Air Depot.
Prior to that he was employed at
the Oneida Vault & Casket Company
and at the National Casket
Company. He played football, and
both hard and soft ball. He was
anchor man on the Munroe's
Bowling team in the City Commercial
League. During the present
season he had been umpiring
games in the city softball association
league.
He was born Aug. 8, 1903 in
Buffalo, a son of Mr. and Mrs.
John Flagler. The family had resided
in Oneida 27 years. For several
years, Mr. Flagler had been
prominent in Moose lodge circles.
Besides his parents, he leaves
his wife, the former Greta Wainwright,
Oneida, a brother, Cornelius
Flagler of Utica, and five sisters,
Mrs. FJva Flagler Golley,
Mrs. Catherine Flagler McSweeney,
Miss Frances and Miss Thehna
Flagler, all of Oneida, and Mrs.
Midred Harding of Wampsville.