Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1889-02-19
FORT WORTH MOURNS.
One of Her Noblest Men and Best Citi-
zens Taken Away.
Alderman F. J. Tatum Almost Instantly Killed
by an Accident at the New Era
Roller Mills.

A thrill of profoundest sorrow ran
through Fort Worth last night when
few minutes after 'cloek it was known
that F. J Tatum, of the firm of Gamer
on s. Tatum, had been accidentally
killed at the New Era roller
mills owned by the firm.
Never before has a death so
shocked this community. There was no
expression but that OF deep sorrow heard
on any side and men spoke in sad tones
of the woeful affection of the wife
and children and the irrepara-
BILE loss to Fort Worth As soon as
friends heard of it they hurried to the
family residence, anxious to do some
thing to relieve the stricken wife and
children, and TO show their regard for
the noble man and good citizen whose
life had gone out so suddenly.
As far as could be learned, the facts of
this sad affair are these: The wheat in
the elevator was kept moving through
the spouts to the mill and back again to
the elevator. One, of the spouts in the
basement of the mill had become choked
and Mr.. Tatum, with James Cromer,
one of the employees was searching for the
of the wheat conveyors had been lifted
off and that particular spot found to be
clear. A conveyor is some
thing on the order of a
spiral spring, working horizontally.
Finding the spout clear, Mr.. Tatum
stepped on it with his left foot in order
to reach a spout near by, which he UNI
covered and was examining, when his
foot slipped and the couveyor caught
his leg. In second the blades
on the conyeyor were cutting into
his flesh and crushing the bones. He
called TO Cromer to shut off the steam
aid stop the machinery, which Cromer
did i'll few seconds Released
from the conveyor by the stop
ping of the machinery Mr..
Tatum fell to the floor and told
Cramor to get some of the men to carry
him up stairs. This was the last request
ever made by him; in second he was
unconscious and in fifteen minutes
the immortal soul of Joe Tatum
had left theA poor mutilated
body and entered into that realm where
all is peace. Tenderly the employees
lifted the PROSTATE form and bore it
to the fist floor of the mill
Physicians were sent for at once
GHo III Kew minutes LIT.
Burts was present Hardly had the ply
stefan arrived. however. until the grief
stricken wife came in The terrible news
had been borpe to her as on
the wind, and in the presence
of that grief all drew back DR.. Burts
says nothing could have been done, death
was virtually instantaneous. Kind
friends came in and accompanied the
wife back to the home now desolate of
husband IS and fathers love and soon
there followed the mortal remains of the
dear one.
F. j Tatum was native of Mississippi
but came to Texas q number Of years
ago. He was for years a trusted emplOye
of William Cameron, the lumber mer-
chant, and by his marked ability as a
business man and his devotion to
duty won a position in the firm
For the past twelve months Mr..
Tatum gave much of his time to the cree
ton and operation of the New Era roller
mills, and 1t was his answering devotion
to duty impelling him to watch every de-
tail of his business that caused his death.
At the time of his death, Mr.. Tatum for
the second term, was serving the Fourth
ward in the city council, and no alder
man was more trusted by the people than
he. In enterprises to put Fort Worth III
the front rank of cities, Joe Tatum was
always ready to engage. No railroad
subsidy list but bears his name, no sub
scription for worthy purpose was asked
but he was one of the first to respond
generously.
Deceased was q member of st. An
drew's Episcopal church, was a free
mason and a member of Worth Com
mandery of Knights Templar His
masonic brethren will probably conduct
the funeral ceremonies.
1t is understood that the city council
will meet tonight in regular session
and at once adjourn in honor of the
deceased
THE GAZETTE is not advised as to the
day of the funeral.