Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 220, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 September 1918 — JOHNNY OVERTON IS KILLED [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

JOHNNY OVERTON IS KILLED

Famous Yale Athlete Falls In Battle Wth Huns on West Front —Best Long-Distance Runner. J. M. Overton of Nashville, Tenn., has received a letter announcing that his son, Lieut John W. Overton, famous as a Yale athlete, was killed in the battle of the Marne on July 19. The news came In a letter from a friend who said he helped bury Overton on the battlefield. Lieutenant Overton was known in the college athletic world as “Johnny Overton” and was prominent In the mile and two-mlle runs. Soon after

the United States entered the war he enlisted in the marine corps and was , promoted to lieutenant. The letter received by Mr. Overton from one of his son’s associates said: “On the morning of July 19 we went over the top. Johnny Overton was killed. I helped bury Overton in the field.” Overton was one of the best longdistance runners ever developed at Yale university and was captain of the track team. While a student at the university Overton was twice winner of the intercollegiate cross country championship, defeating a big . field of competitors in 1915 and again the following year. Overton ran second to Potter of Cornell in the two-mlle championship run of 1915 and finished third in the onemlle event a year later. Overton won i a place on the all-American track team at 1,000 yards in 1916 when he was the record holder for that distance.

Johnny Overton.