Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-16
A FRIGHTFUL FATE.
An Unknown Man Mangled On the
Track.
Run Over by X. 4. a r. Loo omotive
aud Killed Almost Instantly---The
Coroner's Inquest WHO Was Her

One more unfortunate. unkno gn. un-
wept and unwarned has gone TO his
doom--s terrible death by mears of the
merciless locomotive. At about $40 last
evening man whose identity has not up
to this writing been established. was run
over and frightfullY mangled. death en-
suing instantly. on the r. 1 & p tracks
just west of Seventeenth street BY engine
No. 4 OF that road. The horrible fatality
occurred without the knowledge of En-
gineer Art. Elberton or Fren an Levi
Sherwood Of the locomotive causing it,
until they reached the II. l. s. r. depot
toward which their engine was backing
up from the round house to take out the
$50 freight train. when they were advised
by telephone message from the c., B. &
Q. building. Fireman Sherwood had
observed the victim of the accident cross
the track as the engine approach ID. but
supposing he had abundance Of time to
get over in safety. he did not think OF
him again.
The man must have been siruct by the
tender of the locomotive, and knocked
down on the rail. as there was deep
cash on the right cheek extending around
to the base of the skull. and both legs
were severed above the ankle, showing
that he must have fallen partly &C ,oss the
rail.
The body was discovered by Yard
master Hardy Hetter and Brakeman VIM.
DOwnton of the C., b. & Q, the latter
having witnessed the accident, and Mr..
Hetter notified the police station and
Coroner Halves. The latter ordered the
remains to be taken in charge by Under
taker ClOugh to whose establishment
they were taken and an examination was
made for something to establish the mans
identity, but nothing could be found.
He had ordinarily well kept clothes, a
new broad brimed white hat and
new shoes. He had on his per-
son an open faced silver watch with
q gold chain, evidently new a tsched.
He had S27 in money-a twenty and
five dollar bill and two silver dollars, and
a memorandum book, containing some
n ties Of little expenses, but no name or
a idress. The only other article was
corn-husking peg. He was a stout man,
weighing about l50pounds and alb out five
feet eight inches high. and evidently
about thirty>three years of age. He
wore sandy mustacbe.
This morning Coroner Halves held an
inquest, empannelling as Jury Chas. Z.
Hodgson (foreman). L. V. Eokhsrt.
Henry 5. Powsrs, L. Kramer. Jacob
Weaver and John Aster.
Art. Elberton, engineer, and Levi
Sherwood. fireman of engine No 4, testi-
fed that they were running not 10 ex>
coed three miles an hour. the bel was
ringing and proper signal lights were
displayed.
Hardy Hotter, ysrdmsster of the c.,
B. & O.. testified to seeing two me n, one
ahead of the other, hurryiug in he d.
rection of the approaching r. l. & P.
engine. and he thought they were going
to jump on the engine and ride up to the
depot. AfIerward he did not see them,
and thought they did not have time to get
across in front Of the locomotive aud lis
tened for scream, but not hear ing it,
concluded they had crossed in ssfe-y. A
few minutes later his helper informed
him that a man had been run over, and
he notified the police and the X. l. & p.
by telephone. He did not see the other
man afterwsrd. The engine was run
ming at about two miles an hour, and
the bell was ringing.
VIM. Downton. a c., B. & Q. brake
man. testified to seeing the man
start to cross the track about thirty feet
ahead Of the Peoria engine, and thought
he had time to cross as the bell was ring
ing and the engine moving slowly. He
did not pay any further attention u it as
the man apparently had abundant time
to cross. About five minutes later he
| thought he saw something on
the track, and going over to the object.
found n man lying on his back aero IS the
rail, his arms jerked convulsivelY after
witness arrived.
DR.. Thomas Gait testified to the ma
ture of the injuries.
The verdict of the jury was that
the deceased was an unknown man, whose
death was occssioned by being run over
by Peoria engine No. 4, on the 18th of
October, at $50 p, m. in the city of
Rock Island 4"