Montrans in the News – S. F. Auto Death – December 23, 1919

Montran Monday
By Don Taylor

This week’s entry for Montran Monday is from the Stockton Daily Evening Record (Stockton, CA) dated 23 December 1919.

              S. F. AUTO DEATH
                          —–
SAN FRANCISCO, Dec. 23.—One man was killed and four others suffered severe injuries in an automobile accident today near the Hunter’s Point dry dock. E. W. Montran, 45, was killed. Antone G. Garra and J. Mintus are seriously injured. W. W. Parker suffered a fractured skull and internal injuries.

The automobile skidded on a wet place in the street and overturned according to reports received by police. 

None of my records saw an E.W. Montran previously. So, I was able to add him to my records. E. W. Montran, born about 1874, died 23 Dec 1919 in San Francisco, California. A quick look at City Directories for San Francisco and Stockton for 1919 did not find any Montrans.

In the “California, Death Index, 1905-1939,” via Ancestry.Com, I learned that an Ernest W. Mottram died in San Francisco on 23 December 1919.

Further searches for E. W. Montran found one during the 1910 Census in Missouri and nothing after that. Additionally, the search for Ernest W. Mottram didn’t find anything of interest. So, I’m not sure if this is a Montran or a Mottram. Certainly, further, more in-depth, research should be considered for the future.

Source:

Stockton Daily Evening Record (Stockton, California) · Tue, Dec 23, 1919 · Page 2. “S. F. Auto Death” via Newspapers.Com.

Future Actions:

Determine if the person who died on 23 December 1919 in San Francisco, CA, was E. W. Montran or Ernest W. Mottram.

Endnotes:

[i] Montran Monday – My grandmother’s father was John Montran. She used the surname, as a young child and again when she began in show business. The name is uncommon and most of the Montrans I see in the newspapers are my grandmother during her early vaudeville career. However, with the constant flow of newly digitized material, I often learn of new articles which contain the Montran name. I pay attention to the finding and try to determine a possible relationship of any Montrans to Donna’s father, John Montran.