The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-01-30
UNITED IN DEATH.

n
While on the Way to Bury Thor Little
Chiid-A Train Running at Full Speed
Dashes Into the Mourners' Carriage
Two Other Persons Lose Their Lives.
CHICAGO, Jan. PA most distressing
accident, which resulted in the death
of four persons, occurred at Rose Hill
Cemetery, on the Chicago & Northwest
ern road, Thursday afternoon. Mr.. and
Mrs. Fred Payne, whose home was at
No. "a Aberdeen street, were on their
way with few friends to bury their
5-months-old babe. There were only
four carriages in the procession. Mr..
and Mrs. Payne were in the carriage
Immediately following the hearse, and
with them were Mrs. William Reprogel
and Oracle Payne, their little S-year-old
daughter. It was 3:39 o'clock in the
afternoon, and the Milwaukee express,
four minutes behind time, was nearing
the city at high rate of speed. As the
Payne carriage came squarely on the
track the engine struck it in the center,
tearing it into splinters and instantly
killing Mr.. and Mrs. Payne. Mrs.
Reproge1 ana Simon Anderson, the
driver, received injuries from which
they died within two hours afterward.
All who witnessed or knew any thing
of the occurrence agree that no warning
whatever of its approach was given by
the flying train. The engineer was E.
J. Mahoney, and the fireman William
Anderson. The train was in charge
of Conductor Barney Kavanaugh.
The train was stopped within a
brock of where the accident occurred,
backed up and the bodies of the dead
and injured were placed in the baggage
car. Mrs. Reprogal and Anderson,
the driver, were still alive when
the train reached the depot at
North Chicago avenue. The North Chi
cago Avenue Police station was notified
and at o'clock Officer Finn with the
signal-service wagon removed Ander-
son to the Emergency Hospital, corner
La Sale and Superior streets,
where he died few moments
later. The bodies of Mr.. and Mrs.
Payne were removed to the Chicago &
Northwestern depot at Wells street,
whence they were taken to Jordan's un
dertaking establishment. Mrs. Rep
rogel died shortly after reaching the de-
pot.
The track in the vicinity where the
accident occurred is straight and level,
and the catastrophe seems to have been
entirely without excuse. The grief
among the surviving relatives as
they gazed upon the mutilated bodies
lying upon the rude cots pre-
pared for their reception at the depot
was heartrending. Mrs. Payne's face
was badly SCARED and the top of her
husbands head was entirely crushed in.
Mrs. Reprogel was slightlyrdisfgure
but the old drivers face was terribly cut
and bruised and his eyes swollen and
blackened.
Late in the evening Engineer Ma
honey was arrested for causing the
death of these four persons and was
locked up at the East Chicago
Avenue station pending an in
vestigation of the accident by
the coroner. He was badly broken
up when informed that he would
have to pass the night in a cell, and
stoutly protested his innocence of any
criminal neglect of his causing the
death of the four victims. He said that
from his seat in the engine, which was
on the opposite side to that from which
the funeral was approaching, he could
not see any thing except directly ahead
of the engine. On the other hand,
those of the funeral procession could,
before they reached the crossing, COM
mand full view of the track in either
direction. They must have seen the
train coming