The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-10-08
BENEATH THE WHEELS.
Oscar Wickman Meets Sudden and
Horrible Death on the Rail-
The Inquest.

The ARGUS Tuesday evening announced
that fatal railway accident had taken
place in the yard of the G, r. |. Il P,
and that the victim was a section hand
whose first name was Oscar The paper
was about to 60 to press at the time, and
the last name of the unfortunate man
could not be learned tor publication. But
the horrible accident was only too true
and the particulars were brought out at
the coroner's inquest. Coroner Halves
empanneled the following jury: NJ. E.
Sweeney, foreman; H. c. Harris, H. s.
Powers, Theo Free, W f. Brooks and
Phil Miller. The inquest was held i'll the
baggage room near the depot. H. L. VIII
liams section boss, was the first witness
sworn He testified that Oscar Wickman
the victim of the accident had been in his
employ. About ? p. m. he Qhc section
boss had carload of cinders switched
on to side track No. for the purpose Of
filling up hole ON that track. When the
car had been partially unloaded he asked
that the car be run further cast up the
track. Locomotive No. 257 came along
with a box car and pushed the car of
cinders along US he had desired In the
meantime he had gone to the yardmas,
ter's office, and while at the office he was
told that one of his men had been killed.
He returned to the scene and discovered
that it was Oscar Wickman He thought
that at least five coal cars must have
passed over the unfortunate man.
Charles Willander next testified He
had not seen Oscar when the
cars were coming down the track
The engine "threw the cars down at a
good rate of speed" He saw no one on
these cars. He saw a shovel drop be>
tween the cars, and when they had passed
he saw Wickman lying dead on the rail.
Peter Forwinkle next testified, but his
testimony brought out nothing new
Peter Peterson was an important wit.
ness. He was on the car with Oscar ut
the time of the accident. He said that
he was in the west end of the car and
Oscar was in the east end. There was a
box car at the endw where Oscar was This
car INSTRUCTED the view to the eastward
When the cars that were sent whirling
down struck the two cars in one of which
witness and Oscar were, the collision
knocked witness flat in the car. As he
fell he saw Oscar, who was close to the
east end of the car, fall over the end be>
tween the cars He next saw him dead
DR.. Plummer testified that he saw the
remains of Oscar Wickman lying between
the rails of the north track, in an oblique
position, the head on the north rail
The doctor further testified that he
found, upon examination, that the top
and back part of the victim were crushed
to pulp Some of the brain was lying
out on the ground, and some on the rail .
The left shoulder was pulpifed and badly
torn, and the right arm was ground into
shapeless mass. and the shoulder crush
ed. Death was instantaneous. The Jury
| after short deliberation found that Oscar
Wickman cane to his death by "being
run over by five cars in the railway yard
of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
Railway Co, on the eth Of October, A.
D., 1884" and We further find the said
railway company negligent in not putting
| a brakeman on the cars which struck the
car on which said Oscar Wickman then
was"
Young Wickman was 81 years of age
last Saturday, and unmarried. He was
industrious and sober, reliable young
man. His family are inconsolable over
their loss. The body was taken to Moline
last night and the funeral took place to,
| dav.