The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1866-08-02
Horrible Deaths.


from Golden Bridge station. on the Har-
lem Railroad. three farmers Merlin
Mead. Charles Mead and Allen Mead
brothers, were suffocated in 3 we'll
Tuesday, and yesterday they we've bur
led. The facts OF their death, Of extra
ordinary character, we give upon good
authority.
Two of the hrotherS-MeFIiu. who was
a bachelor, and Allen, who was married
lived upon the homestead OF their faith
er, Aaron Mead, which they owned to
gether; and Charles possessed farm
which lay adjoining The two farm
houses were very near each other, being
separated only by a road.
On Tuesday, Merlin took pail, and
in company with one of his nephews,
went TO a well at a barn yard, a few hun
dsed feet distant from the house. This
We'll WAS not ordinarily used, except in
winter time, and was kept covered with
boards, He removed these, and in en-
deayoring to draw out some water he lost
the pail Then he descended into the
wei, sustaining himself upon the stones
with which the wall was made. He went
down . considerable distance. and stop
! ping q moment, seemed to lose his hold,
and fell into the water.
The lad who had come with ran him to
the house and gave the alarm. He said
! his uncle had fallen into the well, but
I .; ;,,F g., ", IL,
temporary absence of Alien the father,
the family instantly notified Charles Mead
who was at or near the house opposite,
and they all proceeded together to the
/ we'll Charles hurried into it, hoping 10
. rescue his brother before he was drown
ed. When he had gone about half way
to The water he slackcned his speed, and
set his feet firmly against the stones on
Z, each side Of tile well. His arms he also
placed in the openings between the
stones. Almost Immediately his head
/ dropped forward, and he became insen-
/ sible; but his limbs were so braced and
stitIened that his body remained sus
! pended.
The women and children, struck with
terror and almost overpowered, could of
course do nothing to aid the dead or dy
, ing men. As soon as possible, the other
brother, CHARLES Mead, was called He
/ said he would go down and take oul
f, Allen, who, he thought, must be still
/ alive. The women, now convinced that
the air in the well was stagnant, so
/ thatit would not support life, or poison
4 ed. begged him not to risk his life
/ He insisted, however, saying that he
/ would enter the well, and if he found he
/ could not help his brother, would return
/ INN ediately. SO fastening to his leg a
I rope which he meant to tie around Allen S
| body for the purpose of hosting it out,
/ lie stepped into the well and quickly but
/ carefully descended. He had hardly
reached the place where the body was
i when he made an effort to come to the
/ surface. bnt his strength was insufficient
and losing his consciousness he fell.
/ By this time all the members of two
! families were assembled at the well, and
/ the scene was one that need not be desert
4 bed. In the confusion boy, a relative
of one of the men, rushed to the WELL
and in spite Of the resistance of the wo
men got himself into the mouth of it,
but he soon felt the sitting effect of the
air, and started upward in time to save
his life, Afterwards the three men were
dragged out with hooks, we understand,
and yesterday the funeral took place
from the homestead.
They were all much respected and
wealthy. Merlin vas about sixty years
of age and the others were between forty
and fifty.
REJUvENATED TO DEATH The Mil
waukie News says: Mr.. William Burton.
r,fA 1jti of Nnrtls