Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-11-06

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from the room when the sharp repor
OF a pistol announced that The fatal &C
bad been done, and upon returning Il
the room it was found that he had dis
charged the contents Of the pistol int
| his head, causing instant death. Doty
formerly resided in Troy. n. T.. ant
during the rebellion he served in
Massachusetts, regiment.
How RriKgs' Bnby wm> Treated.
Thomas Briggs, of Detroit, has /;
boy-baby, about ten months old. VIII,
is admitted at the beginning of thi.
article TO look just like his father, and
be the smartcsi baby-boy of his age
in Detroit. The other morning the
child was sitting on the floor, PLAYING
with five or six coat buttons strung Oh
q string, and taking an occasional nib.
bic at an apple to bring out his first
crop of teeth. Mrs. Briggs and q
neighbor were talking as only two
men can, when the baby hid the but
tons under mat and started to finish
the apple. A piece Of the skin got in
his throat, and he gave cough and a
whoop, and paved the air, and rolled
over on his head
"Oh, them buttons. He has swal-
lowed them buttons!' cried the moth.
er, as she yanked him up. and shook
him.
sPound him on the back.'' yelled
the other woman. trying to hold the
baby's legs.
'Hnn for the neighbors.' cried Mrs.
Briggs.
ooh, he'll die he'll dic!" screamed
the other, as she ran out.
And the neighbors came in, aud
made him lay on his stomach and
cough, aud then turned him on his
back, and rubbed his stomach, and
logged him about all sorts of ways.
until he got mad, and went to howl
ing. Then the boy ran for Briggs,
and Briggs ran for the doctor, and
the doctor came and choked the baby,
and ordered sweet Oil and mustard
plaster, and told them 10 hold him on
his back.
Everybody knew that those six but
tons were lodged in the baby's throat,
because he was red in the face, and be-
cause he strangled as he howlcd and
wept. They poured down sweet oil
and pnt mustard across him, and..wept
over him, and his mother said she
could never forgive herself.
Boys drove by, calling: "Slab-wood
for sale u and the scissors man went
by, shouting: "Sharp! sharp!" but
that distressed crowd held the baby
down, and shed their tears over his
whole length.
The doctor was looking serious. and
Briggs was thinking that he hadn't
done anything to deserve such blow,
when one Of the women pushed the
mat, and discovered the buttons.
Everybody laughed, and danced, and
they kicked the sweet oil bottle under
the bed, threw the mustard plaster at
the doctor, and Mrs. Briggs hugged
the bowling angel to her bosom, and
and called him her "wopsy topsv hop
sy droDsy popsy little chernb. = De
hOu Free Press.
Particulars Of the n. X Accident ut
Cedar Rapids
CEDAR RAPIDS, Oct. 30.-The fearful
accident by which j. Il. Watkins.
Superintendent of the Iowa Division
of the G. Y n. w ftafiruad, iost irt.
life this morning, occurred about three
miles west of this, before dav. The
Superinten1ent's ear was in the rear
Of the Pacific express from the West,
due here at o'clock. In it were
Albert Keep, President, James Howe,
General Manager, Marvin Hugnett,
General Superintendent, Chief Engin-
eer johnson, w. Ferry, Director, and
Hon. Horace Williams, on a tour of
Inspection on the road. At the point
where the accident occurred, the en-
gine broke down, and q brakeman was
sent back with lantern to warn the
freight train--only ten minutes behind
the express. The engineer of the
freight train saw the sigual on round
ing the curve, a quarter OF miie from
where the express stood, and reversed
his engine, but it was down grade, the
train could not be stopped, and slid
down the track, striking a blaze of
light all the way. Just before the
collision the engineer jumped aud es-
capped. The fireman staid on the en-
gine and narrowly escaped death.
When the engine struck the express
train, it wrecked itself and drove the
passenger coaches along the track.
Watkins jumped from his sleeping
berth, and called on Keep and others
to follow him, aud rushed on. the
front door and was standing on the
steps, when the collision occurred. -
The platforms were crushed, and Wat
kins was caught between Pullman's
and the directors car, the iron railing
striking him just above the hip and
cutting the left leg nearly off below
the trunk, and forcing out the bowels,
He lived twenty minutes and was COLI
scious almost to the last in the greatest
agony. He asked aid and to be gotten
out of the horrible situation, but could
not be extricated. A pillow was
placed under his head in the midst Of
the splinters, and brandy and water
given, and thus he died. When his
body was released it was found horri.
bly, mangled and nearly cut in two.
The remains were put in a casket and
sent home, to Clinton, Iowa. He
leaves . wife and five children. The
others in the car had = narrow escape,
Keep was thrown from the platform
through the door, and sustained slight
cuts and bruises.
Mig Rlow.
Last evening, while the chief en-.
gineer of o lungtester was expatiating
upon the benefits to be derived from
the free use of his instrument, a csda.