, 1890-05-29
DEATH ON THE RAIL
Fred o. Palmer Run over
and Killed by a Switch
Engine Saturday Night.
He Met His Death on the Track
at the Head Of Adams
Street.

Rt lO:io SATURDAY nlgnt sWltcn
engine No. 8, Of the Northern Pa.
ciiic, in charge of Engineer II. Hal.
lor, ran over and killed man at
the head of Adams street.
The news spread like wild fire
and In n very short time large
crowd gathered around the body,
which lay between the two rails.
The wheels of the engine had passed
over the upper portion of the mans
head and right arm above the
elbow. The brains we're lying be-
side the head In n pool of blood,
while short distance away was
found the hat and an extra coat
and vest which he had with him.
About half an hour after the accl-
dent occurred the undertaken ar
rived and conveyed the remains to
the morgue.
There are three suppositlons as to
how the accident, If such 1t may he
called, happened. One ia that the
man was drunk and went to sleep
OH the track. Another Is that he
was hard of hearing and was run
down by the engine, and the third
that he committed suicide. The
most credcnce is given to tho
drunkenness theory, however.
Engineer Haller said when asked
regarding tho affair:
~ was backing west when the
man was run over. AS you see, II
Is pretty dark here, and saw moth.
Ing. The men on the ear l was
switching did not see anything
either. The first / knew that any
thing had happened was when /
received signal to stop. ! did so,
and some one told me that we had
run over man. This is all | know
about the affair."
A switchman said: az did not
see the man, but felt Jolt such as
we receive when we pass over n
broken rail, We stopped, and found
that instead of a broken rail we had
passed over human being"
THE DECEAsED's IDENTITY.
From n letter from the deceased 9
wife found upon his person, by
Captain Martin, 1t Is learned that
his name was Fred o. Palmer, and
that his home was in Algoia, Iowa.
In a memorandum book was found
the following entriesi
Erred q. Palmer-Commenced
work In brick yard, owned by
May 8, 1890, at $35 per month and
board; Truit & Moss, Spokane
Falls.n
"Worked on Riverside avenue,
between Eagle and Zlegler blocks.
$1S.40.n
A pocket-book contained 10 cents,
and In his pockets were found some
poker chips, comb and button
hook. This was all. The following
letter from Palmer's wife shows
that he was in pretty hard circum-
stances to say the least:
Mrs. PALMER's LETTER.
ALTOONA, Iowa, April 70, $780,
My Dear Husbands: received your
letter and was very glad to hear
from you. l talked to father and
he said that he could not do any
thing for you-that there wasn't
any work here for you to do, and
for you to do the best you
can there. IL | had
anything, or could get it,
would send you something, but
| can't, would gladly send 1t to
you in minute, but can't do It..
You did not say whether you re-
ceived the pictures. Can you not
get enough to take you To some
other town where there Is more to
do and less to do IL.
wish IL twas so | could help you, but /
don't see how l can when haven't
anything to do 1t with. see
by the paper that there Is consider
able building going on ut Seattle
this summer, and couldn't you get
there and get work. How far Is IL
from Spokane? / will send you the
papers and ] do hope you will
he In better spirits when this
reaches. III you can't
get work any way, can't you work
for your board some place until you
get something better? | will close
this time hoping to soon hear that
YOU have work. | remain your
true and loving wife.
NELLIE PALMER.
p. Snow try and cheer up, for
you know you have n good and true
wife, and l will always remain so.
Well, good by, darling. Write
.,o,,, ,,,J oftan Er,,n NalIia