The daily Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1878-1???, 1881-09-11
MANS INHUMANITY.

MAN y lNHUMANlII'
An old man named Woodgate was mu-
tillated by the cars on a side track in the
Illinois Central railroad company's freight
yard yesterday morning at about four
o'clock. 1t appears that he LAID down I'M
der the cars in the early part of the night to
60 to sleep. After laying there awhile the
cars began to move and in endeavoring to
get out from under them his left arm and
the toes Of his left foot got under the
wheels and were cut off He lay beside
the track for while 10 terrible
agony; but was finally taken into the
stone depot and laid on a rudey and hasti-
| ly constructed platform with piece Of
wood for pillow There he lay, bleed
Ing, moaning, crying, begging, knashing
his teeth and cursing everything and every
body, until yesterday afternoon about three
o'clock. During all this time his ravlngs
were heard for several squares around, men
at work in the vicinity were rendered nerv-
Gus aud moved with pity for the poor suf-
fering wretch, and persons upon the streets
were attracted by them but no one felt in
duty bound to move muscle to relieve the
sufferer. Crowds Of men and children
| gathered around him, some OF whom stared
at him in silence while others laughed at
the poor mans rawlings. A scene more
shocking to the commonest sense Of hu.
mainly can hardly be conceived.
The city and county authorities were Of
course notified of the case but neither DR.
Wood for the county, nor Mayor Thistle
wood for the city had any authority to act
in the matter, although the latter offered to
do all he could personally. DR., Wood was
there and interviewed the mutillated man.
He learned that the sufferers name was
Woodgate, but further than this nothing
could be ELECTED from him. In
reply TO the question where he
was from he said "from the
wood pile" This answer he repeated three
or four times, as often as it was asked.
DR.. G. g. Parker, the company's physician
at this point, also paid him visit and Of
fered to treat him, tree of charge, if some
one would have him sent to the hospital,
though the rules Of the company
did not permit him to IN
dertake the treatment Of any cases,
but those of employees of the road. DR..
Carter, Of the Marine hospital, also offered
to give the man treatment, free of charge,
II he were sent to the hospital. But no &C
ton was taken, and the old man was per-
mitted to lay on the board bed until
nearly three o'clock, in the after
noon, when his agonizing cries
became too much Of torture to those who
were pursuing their daily ayocation within
a square Of where he lay and he was order
ed to be sent the hospital where Drs. G. g..
Parker and Gordon dressed his wounds and
gave him all necessary attention. This
was done 80 tardily at the instance of Dir.
Fitch Of the Cairo and Vncennes, Mr..
DE Pue Of the Illinois Central railroad
and the Office employees of the
Chicago, st. Louis and New
Orleans railroad. To these gentlemen,
especially to Mr.. Fitch, who, as soon as he
was informed by Dr. Parker Of the facts in
the case, promptly offered to pay all the
expense of having Woodgate properly
taken care of at the hospital, is due much
credit.
But the question arises who is TO be
blamed for the crime OF allowing
the old man to lay in the
depot TOR twelve hours without
proper care9 Upon whom did the duty of
providing such care devolve9 The officers
of the city are not to blame, Tor they are
not authorized to and are not provided with
facilities for taking care of any such case;
the city itself is not to blame for the CITY
was not in any way RESPONSE
bic for the mans injuries.
The Illinois Central railroad company
was clearly the responsible party in the
case, although it cannot be legally held tor
damages in such cases. tits true the man
lay on the track, and was run over without
any wrong doing on the part Of the COM
pany or its employees; but yet he was
injured by the company's agents
and property. Its responsibility
was moral If not legal, common humanity
demanded Of II that it give the man who
had been mutiliated by 1t the necessary
treatment. The teamster who Injuries q
human being with hlS wagon will pick
him up, take HIM home and feel in duty