The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1871-12-02
HOME MATTERS.
A Horrible Death.

A Horrible Death.
on MONDAY evening last young man named
Norris +. Smith, connected with All Howara in
the concert business, met with mos, horrible
DEATH He had been in this city, advertising .
concert to be given at Turner Hall. ON wsars..
day evening of this week. and was returr;H, "a
Streator, where concert was to be given that
evening. He procured ticket, at the demo, IN
the west eide, and got on freight train The
train was long one, with An engine at s;,be-
end. He got on either the forward engine or
car near it, the train being about To nova h..
having no time to so to the rear to the csboos.
and apparently intended to walk over the train
to it He was seen by Mr.. Patterson, the station
agent at South Ottawa, and Mr., Raymond, a
grain buyer there standing upon the ton of a box
car Considering that on that day everything
out OF doors Was covered with ice, and the dan.
gerous position of the man. the cars being in mo.
ton, those gentlemen were surprised, and soma
remark was made about it. As the train nsaroa
the depot the wheels slipped. and as is the case
when that happens, their rapid revolutions caus.
es dense discharge of smoke and cinders from
the smoke-stack. AS they were looking a, him
cloud Of smoke was thus thrown out. ard the
man, apparently to avoid it, stopped aud ran for.
ward along the top of the box car, with the
seeming intention of jumping down upon low
platform car filed with coal. Here the smoke
enveloped him and that part of the train. and
Messrs. Patterson and Raymond entered the sta.
ton house.
In few minutes their attention wa. attracted
by the loud and prolonged whstlng and ring.
ing OF the bell Of the train, signals of trouble
On looking out they saw the body OF the MAJ,
lying between the rails Of the truck, abou. $50
feet beyond the depot On reaching him they
witnessed fearful sight. The right leg was cut
Oft just below the knee, the left leg cut off a.
about midway above the knee aud again below
1t, and crushed into mass of mAngled flesh and
broken bones to the foot. Tue left sid. was torn
open from the hip nearly TO the ARM and the left
hand WAS cut off and portion of the right side
of the jaw crushed. Though he seemed to breathe
for nearly ten minutes, and minute or two at.
ter being removed to the depot, he, i. is to be
hoped, felt nothing after falling.
1t was probable that blinded with smoke, and
the cars being 10y. in attempting to jump upon
the lower car he fell between the cars, and then.
as shown by blood along the track he must have
been dragged distance of fifteen fee. after he
fell and tits also pretty certain th., about thirty.
five cars and locomotive passed over his body;
but, of course, the Is. or "a car mus. have been
the cause Of his death.
He w"a young man Of considerable versatile.
ity Of genius. He had once been PHOTOGRAPHER
at Wenona; telegrspher, and once a brakes.
man for freight train on the C. B. &; G Il all.
road aud about three weeks ago become connect.
ed with Mr.. Howard as a ballad singer He was
between "a and % years old, FIVE fee, ten inches
in height, dark hair and blue eyes, and good
looking and very Intelligent young man. lie
leaves a wife and one child living near Mendoza,
He was taken TO Mendoza, on Monday evening,
for burial by his brother. These facts as to his
death are in substance those presented before
the coroner'- jury.