The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1890-11-07
CRUSHED INTO A PULP.


The Fatal Result of Friendly Wrestling
Bout.
Noah j. Swenson was literally ground to
pieces under the flying crank of the big
engine in the plant of the West ern Paving
Supply Company at "a West Chicago avenue.
His skull was crushed, his limbs were
twisted and broken and his body was shat
tered and torn. He was accidentally thrown
under the deadly crank by fellow-employe
named Henry Lundstadt, with whom he was
scutfiing over the greasy and slippery floor
Of the engine-room. Shortly after the noon
hour l.. G. Newton, canvaSSer for the
Peoples Publishing Company, visited the
works and delivered a subscription book TO
Lundstadt, and then sent the latter to the
engine-room in quest OF the engineer.
Lundstadt found SwenSon standing near the
g CINE There had been friendly rivalry
between the two men as TO which was the
stronger, and usually, when the occasion
offered they took advantage of it to indulge
in wrestling match. The moment SVEN
son saw Iundstadt he began 10 banter HIM.
- | can throw you without half trying" he
exclaimed.
mo, you can't" suffered Lunstadt, who
has an impeachment in his speech. This was
equivalent to a challenge and an acceptance.
The two men Sprang at each other. Lund-
stadt threw his arms around SwenSon body,
tried to force his shoulders to the floor.
Swenson, who was a big powerful fellow,
struggled furiouSly to break away. He
dragged Lunstadt all over the room. So in
tent were both men on the outcome of the
match that neither saw the big engine as
they staggered across the slippery floor to-
ward it locked in each others embrace. Sud
denly Swenson placed both hands on Lnnd-
siadts shoulders, and Ivy an herculean effort
of strength freed himself from the cruSht
ing embrace OF his opponents arms. Lund-
stadt rallied in moment and jumped
at his antagonist to renew the attack. Sven
son wheeled as if TO get away from the en-
CINE. which was dangerously near. Ills foot
slipped i'll the oil and grease ana he pitched
forward toward the swiftly revolving crank:
The huge piece of iron hit hun a crushing
blow in the n cad and he was thrown vio-
lently into the pit beneath the machinery.
Swenson screamed with agony and fear as
lie saw the deadly crank shooting down
with terrific momentum to tear him to
pieces. He made one feeble effort to es-
cape, but quicker than a flash ii was on
him, crushing his bones ike glass. Hor-
rifed at the fearful predicament of his
friend Lunstadt jumped to his side
and tried 10 pull him out of the pit. but
the crank came down again and again,
tearing and grinding poor Swenson'S yitals
at every revolution. In a moment the body
was a shapeless, unrecogniZable mass of
his extremity, cried for assistance, and the
engineer, who was in the boier-roOm, ran in
and stopped the bloody work of the engine
by shutting off steam. In lew minutes
the room was filled by curious workinsmen.
who crowded around the death-pit to look
at the mangled body of Swenson. The
sight was so shocking that several of the
men tainted and had TO be carried out into
the yard. The wall just beyond the pit was
despatched with Swenson's life blood,
which the crank threw out in crimson
spray. On the floor were shreds OF flesh
which had been torn from the body.
When the patrol crew of the West Chi
cago-avenue Police Station arrived in re-
spouse to a telephone message the officers
lifting the remains out of the pit and placing
them on a stretcher witnessed horrible
sight. The inteStines had been forced
through the dead mans back, his brains
were scattered all over the pit and his skull
was crushed to thousand pieces. Every
shred OF flesh and every piece of bone was
carefully. picked up and placed beside the
bloody mass that reposed on the streteher.-
Chicago Herald