Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1884-01-28
miscellaneous.
A Fearful Death
Or THREE MAINE BROTHERS IN THE PENN
sYLvANIA FORESTS.

0Ispdtcn ITOm corning, ~ =, says -
Two years ago five young men came
from the woods Of Maine. where they fol-
lowed the occupation of choppers. and
found employment in the lumber regions
of Pennsylvania, in the vicinity Of Malley's
Mills. They were George and VIM. Jen-
nings. brothers; Arthur Fraley. Andrew
Shalcross, and Hiram Stevens. The first
week that they were in the region George
Jennings was shaking" logs to q roll
way. As he was engaged in fastening a
chain around large log. standing on the
lower side of it as it lay on the top of a
small hill it was started in some manner.
and before he could get out of the way it
knocked him down and rolling over him,
crushed him to death. His father was
killed in a similar manner in Maine.
A few months afterward, Arthur Fraley
and William Jennings were hunting in
the woods near Malley's Mills. They
had shot deer. and after loading their
guns, had walked up to where the deer
lay. Fraley stopped down beside The deer
and Jennings stood behind him. While
they were in these positions Jennings saw
a fawn come leaping along the edge Of
the ridge close by them. He quickly
cooked his gun. The click of the hammer
caused Fraley to look up. Seeing the
fawn he rose quickly to his feet. Jen-
ning's gun was discharged at the same
instant and the ball passed clear through
Fraley's head. killing him instantly. A
few weeks later Jennings was engaged
with others in driving logs. and while he
was breaking jam the jam gave way
unexpectedly and he was carried down
with il and crushed TO death. After Will
liam Jennings death Andrew Shalcross
declared that he could not remain in such
an apparently fatal spot and he obtained
work in Potter county. Last week news
was received that he had been killed by
a falling tree.
Hiram Stephens was now the only one
alive of the five young lumbermen who
had come together to Pennsylvania. He
had remained at Valleys mills. Last
week when he heard of Shalcross's death
he resolved to return to Maine. He had
agreed to work at the mills until the first
of February. and as his employer would
not release him before that time he made
his arrangements to go when the time ex-
PRED. Two weeks ago a young man
named George Cough went to Malley's
mills to work as a master. On Monday
last there was but little for the teams to
do. and rs one OF the choppers was sick,
Cough was sent TO the woods to chop. He
and Hiram Stephens went together. They
were to work on '.iob'ab three miles
from the mills. Cough was green hand
at chopping. and until about O'Clock in
the afternoon he had simply trimmed the
branches from the trees that Stephens
felled. Stephens had Just felled a tree,
and suggested to Cough that he Try his
hand at one. Cough selected . medium
sized tree near by and began chUpping
Stephens proceeded to trim the one that
he had felled. and paid no attention to
Coughs work. After awhile he heard
Cough shout to him to run. as the tree
would fall in such a way as to strike him
with branch. Stephens started. carry
ing his axe in front of him. He had taken
but few steps when he stumbled anG
fell. Cough was giving the last stroke.
on the tree with his axe. and seeing tha
Stephens did not rise after falling he rar
to his aid. forgetting the danger from the
tree. Before he reached stephens the tree
fell with crash. and Cough was caugh
beneath the very branch against which hi
had warned his companion. He wa.
pinned on his back to the ground. the
limb lying across his legs. No part of the
tree touched Stephens. although Cough die
not lie six feet from him. When the tree fel
Stephens raised his head and saw Cough ~
ing beneath the branch. He rose to his
feet. and Cough saw that blood was pour
ing in great stream from fearful wound
inStephen's stomach. He had fallen on the
upturned blade OF his keen axe. Stephens
staggered toward his companion. and al
though it was evident that he was dying
began chopping at the limb with the in
tention of releasing Cough if possible
He gave few feeble and random blows
and then turning to Cough, he laid the
axe within his reach and said:
Il am done for. George! You'll have
to cut yourself out"
He then staggered off few feet and
fell to the ground dead After long anG
difficult labor Cough succeeded in cutting
the limb in two with Stephens axe and in
pushing off of his leg that portion OF il
that held him fast. Then for the first
time he knew that one of his legs was
broken. There is q cabin occupied Al
night by q number of choppers, about q
mile from where Cough lay, and IS night
was coming on and little hope of any one
passing thatway aud knowing that he could
not survive a night spent PROSTATE on the
snow he determined to drag himself
through the woods to the cabin.
When the choppers came into the Cable
about o O'Clock they found Cough WINS
unconscious on the floor. His fingers werl
torn and bleeding and his clothing torn
Such restoratives as were at hand served
to revive Cough, and he was soon able te
III r = l. l. -
eernoon. and the awful fate Of youns
Stephens. Coughs fingers were torn e
the bone by clutching in the snow and or
bushes to drag himself along to the cabin
He was taken at once to Malley's Mills
and be will doubtless recover. Stephen.
dead body was found by party OF chop
v,<,r,s ewk, -, II ~ L