Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1875-07-14
From the Daily OF July 12tit.
ONE MORE!
VIM. O'Brien Found Dead.
with His Skull Crushed.
CorOner's Jury Say The Cars
Did 1t.

l uHu IL W w Wv ssuS.
The dead man was known by the
name of VIM. O'Brien, and lived with
man by the name of Brown, living
on the B. & NJ. near Sugar creek and
worked in a coal mine. They had
been to the city Saturday all day, had
been drinking pretty freely in the af-
ternoon and more than likely started
home pretty drunk. The last account
of O'Brien, while living, is that he
was left sitting on pile of coal Gin.
ders by the road side. Nothing more
il known of him until he was found
by the road side dead. 4
Why is it that people will while
drunk take the first opportunity to
lay down on railroad track to sleep,
| is one of tho mysteries that cannot be
explained, and almost every day we
hear of some dreadful accident from
such causes. The body, after the in
quest, was taken in charge by Mr..
Cochran undertaken, decently washed,
dressed, and prepared for burial. We
believe the deceased has no friends
| living in this part of the country, al
though he has mother living some
l where, and had in his possession let
| ter from some one claiming to DO
brother, who says in the letter that he
is working in the st. Louis, p. o. Be-
yond this we have learned nothing in
regard to him. Below will be found
the evidence before the Coroner's Jury
and also their verdict:
PETER WINTERS, JR.,
Being sworn, says he is 26 years of
| age, resides in Center township, by
l occupation q farmer. Was coming to
town last night about nino o'clock
met Brown and deceased in Traul's
| field on B. & M. r. II. track about %
yards from where we found body.
They were going East, did not notice
that they were drunk, paid no Atten-
ton them. We came on to town re-
| manned in town about three quarters
| of An hour, and started for homo.
Found body in Traul's field about 25
yards East of where we met the men
| first. Body was lying with tho head
East tho head about Is inches from the
iron-body lay on North side of tho
track, parallel with track, left hand
lay near to the iron and right extend.
ed in opposite direction laying ON his
back. When VIC left town for home
we were on the D. v. track. The B. Il
M. passenger train came in from the
| east, after which freight train went
east, we followed the freight out;
when we found body it was cold.
Found body about ten minutes after
| freight passed us. 1t was about an
hour and three quarters after we saw
man alive, whom we found his body.
t. J. McCLosKEY
being sworn says he is % years of age,
resides in Center township-by occu-
patton . farmer !; was with Winter last
night think it was about nine o'clock
when we met Brown and deceased
we were coming to town remained in
town about three quarters of an hour
found body in Traul's field, near
road; do not know deceased
body present is the one found.
NICHOLAS WINTER
being sworn, says he is 10 years of age,
reside in Center township-by occupa-
ton farmer came to town last night
about half past eight or nine o'clock
met Brown and deceased about rs yds.
West of where body was found; they
Il Ia -
West on the B. s. M. track; was in
town half or three-quarters of an hour
found body near Trauls private
crossing of the B. & M. track; body
was cold-not entirely stiff. A train
passed us coming to town, just as we
got on track, saw men after train pass
ed us, we met no train coming to
town.
VIM. BROWN,
Being sworn. says he is Oyears of age
resides in Center township, is by oc-
cupation coal digger. know the
man whose body is lying present i Is
VIM. O'Brien, / came to town with
him yesterday about nine O'Clock in
the morning. He had been drinking
oil the afternoon--wo started for home
| q while before dsrk-deceased went
| along all right, sat down once on the
side of the track just below tho B. Il
M. and d. V. r. r. crossing. Sat down
again at TrauPs field. lett him there
it was soon after We met three men.
l went on home and left him sitting
on pile of cinders beside the track.
| came in town last night with the
body. O'Brien was about four feet
from the track sitting with his back to
the track. After left o 'Brien l met
train No. coming west, met the train
after met tho men. The train was
behind the men we met. Had been
drinking some myself. tried to have
OBrien 60 home with me he has
been working for me since last No
vember. He had been living with me,
think O'Brien was owing me some.
l Am in charge of the coal bank
OBrien was in the habit of getting
drunk when he came to town. l 1.-Two
about % feet from the railroad / do
not remember what trains passed after
got home. l left O'Brien on or near
track, about eight or nine o'clock.
think train passed my house while l
was eating my supper perhaps an hour
and half after l left U 'Bricn. No. 5
passed me after met the men. Met
the men west of Trauls private cross
ing. Left O'Brien west Of the private
crossing and near 1t. Met No. 8 after
left O'Brien sitting on the cindcl
pile. No. 10 mixed train. Am not
positive about any other train passing.
Am go accustomed to the passing Of
trains that would not pay any atten-
ton to them. First learned of
| O'Brien's death about ono O'Clock last
night. Was told by Coroner Lathrop
and Davis. There had been no diff
Guilty between deceased and myself.-
Had no trouble going homo with him.
did not want TO leave him but had
to 20 myself. My wife was sick. At
ter left him 1t was but q short timc
till met No. 5. / live about half q
milo from where left O'Brien. Met
no other trains but No. 5. Was more
than half way home when met train.
Remember but the one train passing
after left O'Brien.