The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-02-13
FIVE MAINE MEN.


Tho Horriblel Fate which Befell Five
/ Down-East Wood-Choppers In tho Lum-
ber Regions OF Pennsylvania.
Corning IN. .Y9 speoiall
Two years ago Ave young men came
from the woods Of Maine, where they had
followed the occupation of choppers, and
found employment in the lumber regions
Of Pennsylvania. They were George and
William Jennings, brothers, Arthur Fra
ley, Andrew Shalcross and Hiram Ste
phens. The Arst week that they were IN
the region George jennings was fastening
A. chain around a log when 1t was started
In some manner, and before he could get
out Of the way 1t had knocked him down,
and rolling over him, had crushed him to
death. His father had been killed in SIM
liar 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 reloading their guns, had walked up
to where the animal lay. Fraley stopped
down and jennings stood behind him.
While they were in this position Jen-
nings saw fawn come q leaping
along the edge of the ridge close by
and quickly cooked his gun. The
click of the hammer caused Fraley to look
up. Seeing the fawn, he jumped to his
feet, jennings gun was discharged at the
same instant, and the ball passed clear
through Fraley's head, killing him Instant
ly. A few weeks later Jennings was en-
gagged with others in driving logs. While
breaking jam the logs gave way unex-
pectedly and he was carried down with
them and crushed to death. ''t fHHNb
After William jennings death Andrew
Shalcross declared that he could not re-
main IN such an apparently fatal spot, and
obtained work in Potter County. Last
week the news was received that he had
been killed by falling tree. ~ "
Hiram Stephens was now the only one
alive of the five young lumbermen who had
come together to Pennsylvania. Last
week, when he heard of Shalcross' death,
he resolved to return to Maine. Monday
he and George Cough went out to work
together. Stephens had just felled q
tree and suggested to Cough that he
try his hand at one. Cough Sc.
lected medium.sized tree near
by and began chopping. Stephens pro.
ceeded TO trim the one that Ec had felled,
and paid no attention to Coughs work.
After, awhile he heard Cough shout to him
10 run, as the tree would fall in such way
as TO strike him with branch. Stephens
started, carrying the Ak in front Of him.
He had taken but few steps when be
stumbled and fell. Cough was giving the
last strokes on the tree with his ak, and
seeing that Stephens did not rise after fall
ing, he ran to his aid, forgetting the dan
ger from the tree. Before he reached
Stephens the tree fell with crash, and
Cough was caught beneath the very
branch against which he had warned his
companion. He was pinned to the ground,
the limb lying across his legs. No part OF
the tree touched Stephens, although Cough
did not lie six feet from him. When the
tree fell Stephens raised his head and saw
Cough lying beneath the branches. he
rose to his feet. Then Cough saw that
blood was pouring in great stream from
D fearful wound in Stephens stomach.
He had fallen on the upturned blade Of
his keen Ak. The poor fellow stag.
gered toward his companion, and, al
though it was evident that. he was dying
began chopping at the limb with the inten
tion of releasing Cough II possible. Ht
gave few feeble and random blows, and
then turning to Cough he laid the Ak with
In his reach and said; "Pm done, for
George. You'll have TO cut yourself out. u
He then staggered off few feet and fell to
tho ground dead. After long and difficult
labor Cough succeeded in cutting the limt
In two with Stephens Ak and in pushing
1t off his legs Then for the first time he
knew that one Of his legs was broken. The
manned man dragged himself through the
snow for over mile TO choppers cabin,
and lay unconscious on the floor. His
fingers were torn TO the bone by cutching
In the snow and on bushes to drag himself
along TO the cabin. He was taken at once
10 Malley's Mills, and will doubtless re
cover. Stephens dead body was found by
party of choppers who went in searcl
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