Mexico weekly ledger., 1889-11-07
HIS LAST SWITCH.
Frightful and Fatal Accident
on the Rail.
Rober III. Ragsdale, Head Brake
man on the South Branch,
Crushed to Death Last
Saturday Evening
by an Engine.

Robert ID. Ragsdale, anu u loving
wife and little one sat patiently
waiting his coming. The wife
heard the usual whistle of his en-.
CINE which she had learned to know
SO well, and after making final
preparations for the meal which
the little family of three was to
partake of, the mother with her lit,
tie daughter on her lap sat patiently
gazing out the window waiting and
watching for him>who never re.
turned to them in life. In a few
moments friend came in and broke
the sad and cruel news that the
husband and father was dead
Here charity to the living suggests
that the veil be drawn. A wife Is
left heart-broken 4; a little n is
fatherless ; an aged couple mourn
the loss of a son who, to them
was everything; a soul is dashed
into eternity to meet its Maker
without a moments warning. The
circumstances are among the sad
dest a newspaper was ever called
upon to chroRicle.
The particulars of the frightful
accident by which Mr.. Ragsdale
lost his life are as follows, as near
as can be eotten at For ten years
Bob-as he was Familiarity called
by everybody-held the position OF
brakeman on the South Branch OF
the Chicago 81 Alton road. The
train came IN Saturday afternoon a
little late and the train men were
hurrying to get home to their fam
lilies. The last switch was being
made in the yards when the acct,
dent occurred. What is called a
"fying SWITCH was being made.
The engine, Frank Wheeler, en-.
gineer. was headed east and was
pushing a box-car ahead of it. The
two were connected by the long
iron coupling-rod which ordinarily
rests on the ridge of the "cow'
catcher" Ragsdale approached
TO- +lo ~ortb ,;lc IF Tho arr,ro
where there was no step on the
pilot. He attempted to swing him
self over the rod, just then at
horizontal position. His foo
struck the round smooth bar, caus
ing his left foot to strike the raj
instead of the step. The RICH
foot struck the ground between two
rails lying close together. HI
caught at the rod but the effort wa:
of no avail. His foot was fast. HI
was rolled under the pilot in thu
narrow space between it and tn
ground, crushing him to death. HI
had only time to utter one cry o
despair, which was heard by tn
engineer, who Immediately re
versed the engine, but too late
The forward trucks had pass
ed over his head and body, ant
when the train stopped he wa
under the middle of the engine
Conductor Hal Gibbs also hear
his call for help, but not in tim'
to aid the unfortunate man. Tn
mangled remains were at once re
moved to the c. & A. freigh
depot. where the Coroner's inques
was held.
The accident occurred at tn
:. switch in front of the Ferris Hote
at twenty minutes past five O'Clock
VERDICT OF CoRoNER'S JURY.
We, the jury, impanneled an
sworn by the Coroner, on the End da
of November, 1889, to inquire into tn
, cause of the death of Robert II. Rag.
dale, a brakeman on train 139, engin
SO, of the G. g. A. r. r., after viewin
the body and learning the evidence
believe that the deceased came to h
l death by being accidentally run owe
, by engine No. 50, while attempting
= uncoupIe a car from the engine. w
further believe that the men who WEI
in charge of the train and engine al
not to be blamed for the accident, a
they were performing their duties q
l the time the accident occurred.
w. X. PORTS,
r. S. STEELE,
r Z. I. SMITH,
81 NJ. PITCHER,
r. S. MUIR, Jurors
Attest: f. S. CAVE, Coroner.
The funeral services we're bel
q at the Christian Church Sunda
: afternoon at 8 o'clock, conducte
by Rev. A. A. Wallace, assisted b
q Mr.. M. Y. Duncan, the latte
gentleman having known the de
t ceased since boyhood and being
lifelong friend to his parents, M
and Mrs. Cornelius Ragsdale, oil
residents of this city. The churc
n was crowded while many person
stood without. The floral offering
: by lady friends of the family We,
profuse and beautiful. Conductc
e Gibbs took his engine and on
9 coach to Fulton and returned wit
the following named relatives an
IS friends of the deceased: Wn
n Crowson, Mrs. Mamie Mile
Edward Crowson and son, Par,
l. BARLEY, John Jameson, NJ
Edwards, VIM. S. Ragsdale and
10 number of others. Bob was /:
Ie years old, had been married eigl
years and held the position whie
he occupied when death overtoe
'e him for ten years. His long servi,
10 in the employ of the company a