The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1875-11-26
The Sad Fate of TFffiam 9. Pam
tcr-Killed by the Cars

ED. REPUBLICAN:-It is with feel
! ings of sorrow and sympathy that |
endeayOr to chronicle the particulars
attending the untimely and sudden
death of William Painter,by the cars.
Many of your readers were we'll ac-
ulaainted with deceased, although he
never resided in our midst. He was
the brother ofJOhn L. Painter, who
served WITH such general satisfaction
i'm the capacity of jailor and Deputy
| Sheriff under !he late Col. COnover,
| and our fellOW-citizcn j. a. Sanders,
ESQ. lie was also the brother of
Thomas, who has for several years
been in the employ of our fellow
| townsman, NJ. 5. Morris, in the man
ufacture of plows and general black
| smith work. lie was also member
of the Savannah Lodge No. II, |. q.
O. f., and was buried by that frater-
nifty, the Eclipse Lodge of St. Joseph
officiating.
| The deceased was born Sept. IA,
| 1915, in Washington county, Ohio.
lie came to Missouri in 1868, and was
engaged as carpenter, on what was
known at that time as the "NIissOuri
Valley Railroad" and had been con-
stantly IN its employ up TO the time
of his death, at which time he was
serving in the capacity Of supcriuten-
deaf of section of bridge hands.
He was sober and industrious
man, scrupulously honest and faith
ful, ever guarding the hest interests
of his employers, gentlemanly in his
intercourse with the world, always at
his post of duty, he was loved and
respected by all who knew him, and
especially by the officers and employ
eeS of the road.
Poor Painter. struck down in the
vi@Or of manhood at Il time when life
was full OF JOY and happiness: at
time when associations were pleasant
and friends sincere without mo-
mcnts warning, at a time and place,
where even his fond wife and loving
child We're not permitted 10 lisp the
name of husband and father, and
close his cyclids ill death. \ home
made dcSolatc, a fair haired child an
orphan, an attcctionatc wife widow:
her blooming hopes withercd in the
| bl tssom, her once quiet and peaceful
home shrOudcG in sorrow. And yet
no one is 10 be blamed; it was an ac-
c;dcnt. at least. such would seem to
| be- the verdict frCm developments.
made thus far.
We are indebted to the St. Joseph
| Gazette ofthc 18th inst, for the fol-
lowing facts, connected with his
death on "Wednesday the 18th inst:
"Mr. Painter had been at work
with his men upon one of the com
pany's structures near AmaZOnia
| IRVING COli IltIt't iil5 'tuiicS VI iIlc
dav. Painter and three other mcn.gUt
aboard their hand-car and started
for st. Joseph. They he'd reached q
point about two and one-half miles
above the Francis street depot, when
they became aware of the fact that q
tram was nearing them, from the
same direction they had come. Think
ing it was freight and consequently
making slow rate OF speed, they
hoped to be able to keep we'll out of
its way. and with this purpose III
view applied themselves vigorously
to the brakes and put the hand-car to
its utmost speed. Their efforts how
ever were fruitlcsS and they pcrceiv-
ed shortly that tie train was fast run,
ming thcm'dOwn. Then they decided
to stop the car and take 1t off the
track. Having come to Il stand still
the men attempted to lift the car
from the rails Capt. Scarborough, ot
Ct. Joseph, was one of the party, and
he and Mr.. Painter had hold of the
car at opposite corners. They sue
ceedcd in raising the car and getting
it half off the track, when the ap-
preaching train dashed madly down
upon them, striking the hand-car
with terrible force aud knocking the
men to right and left: none Of them
! however received any injuries except
Mr.. Painter, and he was killed i'll
stantlv. 1t was supposed that his
! feet must have become caught be-
tween the wheels of the hand-car and
the rail when the locomotive struck
him. When ,hcy picked him up,
mangled bleeding corpse was all that
was left to remind them of honest
William Painter. There was an ugly
cash just above and behind the left
! rar and both 1pt5S had bap-, ny,t off he-