The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-25
An AWFUL ACCIDENT.
TWO PRINTERS KILLED AT WOLF
RIVER BRIDGE.
Knocked on the Top Of a Fast
Train-Their Bodies Found
In Ditch.

The engineer Of the freight train on
the Louisville and Nashville railroad
due at the depot here at 5 O'Clock yes.
terday morning noticed an object be-
tween the rails on the bridge over
Wolf river, but had not sufficient time
to check up, and moment later the
pilot struck the
BODY OF MAN,
carried it across the river and pitched
it of into a hole parity filled with
water on this side. At Wells Station,
q short distance from the river, the
train stopped, and the engineer in
formed the agent OF the occurrence.
Justice Coleman was not fed, and,
summoning jury, visited the scene
and held an inquest. The trestling
from one end to the other was splash
ed with blood and pieces of the brain
OF the victim. One of the rails at the
point he was first seen by the engineer
of the train was
DYED WITH BLOOD
and the ground beneath was salu-
rated, the indications being that the
body had been some time on the track
when struck. A cross beam reaching
from side to side OF the bridgehouse,
at such q hight that anyone sitting
on top OF the car would have bsen
struck by it, was stained with blo1d
in which hair was to he seen. The
jury reached thee inclusion after
careful survey Of the scene, that the
victim had been sitting on Top of the
rear coach of the passenger train
which preceded the freight by half an
hour, with his back TO the engine
when it passed under the bridge, and
that he had been struck and Instantly
killed by the beam before he was
aware Of his danger. The nature of
the wound in the back of the head,
which was
CRUSHED BY THE BLOW,
sustained the belief. From papers
found in his pockets it was easy to
identity him as B. Frank Owen, COM
positor, from New Orleans. A work
ing card from typographical Union
No 80, Kansas Cry, a compo.in ing rule,
business cards from Fort Worth, Kan.
pas City and Chattanooga, and a num-
Der of letters, most OF them signed
"Mama," were found. All of the lat
ter were dated at New 0Ileans and
were of the mott affectionate charac.
ter. One, bearing Dallas, Tex date,
was signed "Uncle WILL" and the
writer expressed a desire to ave his
nephew with him. All of the letters
were in the most affectionate strain,
proving conclusively in how much
esteem the young man was held by his
people. He was very neatly dressed
in suit of fine cashmere and wore
low quartered shoes, one OF which was
FOUND FLOATING
in the mud hole into which he was
thrown by the pilot. He YVES about
25 years of age, with auburn hair and
brown eyes, and was smoothly shaven.
The body was taken to plat Of
ground near the National Cemetery
and buried. On their way back to
Wells Sta ion one of the men on the
hand car which had conveyed the
body 10 the burial ground, saw coat
floating on top of the water in ditch
this side of the bridge, and in fishing
it out they pulled the body of another
man out with it. Cards and letters in
his pocket lead t. the belief that be
was also printer, and his name ].
Claude O'Baugh. Among Owens's
papers a card with the address 81.
Claude O'Baugh, Typographical Tour.
ist," was found, and the inference is
that they were both knocked of at the
same time, O'Baugh falling to the rear
platform and clinging there until the
train passed ever the bridge, when he
tumb ed of, dead, into the ditch.
Justice Blackwell held an inquest. In
both cases a verdict of accidental
death, caused by striking a beam
while stealing ride on top OF the car,
was rendered.