Charles B. Valle, aged 69 years, was instantly killed Monday night when he fell about 200 feet down No. 1, St. Louis Smelting & Refining Co. shaft. There were no witnesses to the accident, and its exact cause will probably never be known.
Mr. Valle was employed in the shaft, his duties being to ride the shaft cage whenever it was called to the different levels of the mine. Just a few minutes before he met his death he had gone down to one of the levels with a number of men who were going on shift. After letting them off the cage he went back up. The men had only gone a short distance from the shaft when they heard a noise in the shaft. On investigation they found Mr. Valle's body.
An inquest was conducted by Coroner Prather. The verdict of the jury was to the effect that death was due to falling down shaft, the cause of fall unknown.
A short funeral service was conducted at the Valle home in Desloge, Wednesday morning at 9:30, after which the remains were taken to the Eidson cemetery in Belleview Valley where interment was made. He is survived by his wife, three daughters, Mrs. J. L. Eaves, Mrs. Guy Cummings and Miss Ettress, all of Desloge, and one son, James.