Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-02-07
THE FATALITIES OF FIVE MEN.
All Meet with Violent Dea this Within
Two Years.

All Meet with Violent Dea this Within
Two Years.
Two years ago five men came from
the woods of Maine, where they fol-
lowed the occupation OF choppers. and
found employment in the lumber re
g1ons of Pennsylvania They were
George and William Jennings, broth
ers, Arthur Fraley, Andrew Snalcross
and Hiram Stephens. The first week
that they were IN the region George
Jennings was fastening a chain on a
large log, when it was started in some
manner, and before he could get out
of the way it had knocked him down,
and rolling over him had crushed him
to death. His father had been killed
in 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 reloadIng
their guns, had walked up 70 where
the animal lay. Fraley stopped down
and Jennings stood behind him.
While they were in this position Jen-
nings saw fawn come 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 instantly. A few weeks later
Jennings was engaged with others in
driving logs. While breaking a jam
the logs gave way unexpectedly and
he was carried down with them and
crushed to death. After William Jen-
ning's death Andrew Shalcross de-
clared that he could not remain in
such an apparently fatal spot, and OBJ
tanned work in Potter county. Last
week the news was received that he
had been killed by falling tree.
Hiram Stephens WIS now the only
one alive of the five young lumber
men who had come together to
Pennsylvania. Last week when he
heard of Shalcross's death, he resolved
to return to Maine Monday he and
George Cough went to work together.
Stephens had Just felled a tree, and
suggested to Cough that he try his
hand at one. Cough selected a me-
dium-sized tree near by and began
chOpping. Stephens proceeded to
trim the one he had felled, and paid
no attention to Coughs work. After
awhile he heard Cough shout to nina
to run, as the tree would fall in such |
way as to strike him with branch. |
Stephens started, carrying his axe in |
front of him. He had taken but a
few steps wnen he stumbled and fell. |
Cough was giving the last strokes on
the tree with his axe, and seeing that
Stephens did not rise after falling, he
ran to his aid, forgetting the danger
from the tree Before he reached
Stephens the tree fell with a 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
Cough did not lie six feet
from HIM. When the tree fell Step
hens raised his head and saw Cough
lying beneath the branch. He rose
to his feet. Then Cough saw that
blood was pouring in a great stream
from a fearful wound in Stevens
He had fallen on the I'M
Wal 1LOo OLc1NaC VI 11Io Null otA I1S
poor fellow staggered toward his com
panion, and, although it was evident
that he was dying, began chopping at
the limb with the intention of releas-
ing Cough if possible. He gave a
few feeble and random blows, and
then turning to Cough he laid the ak
within his reach and said I'm done
for George. You'll have to cut your
self out" He then staggered off a
few feet and fell to the ground, dead.
After long and difficult labor Cough
succeeded in cutting the limb in two
with Stephens AK, and in pushing it
off of his legs Then for the first
time he knew that one of his legs |
was broken. The manned man drag
ged himself through the snow for
over a mile to a choppers cabin and |
lay unconscious on the floor. His
fingers were torn to the bone by
clutching in the snow and on bushes
to drag himself along to the cabin.
He was taken at once to Malley's |
mills, and will doubtless recover !
Stephens dead body was found by
party of choppers who went in search
of it.