Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1890-01-24
CROSSING HORRORS.
Two Funerals That Resulted in
Terrible Accidents.
AWFUL CALAMITY NEAR CHICAGO

A Father and Mother, Going to Bury
Their Babe, Instantly Killed - Two
other Persons Fatally Wounded, aDy.
ing Later-The Little Daughter Left an
Orphan by the Awful Crash--Arrest OF
the Engineer-Details of the Occur
renee.
CHICAGO, Jan. PA most distressing
accident which resulted in the death of four
persons occurred at Rose Hill cemetery, a
few miles from here, on the Chicago and
Northwestern road yesterday afternoon.
Mr.. and Mrs. Fred Payne were on their
way to bury their 5-months-old babe with a
few friends who We're accompany them to
the cemetery There were only four carriage
In the procession. Mr.. and Mrs Payne were
In the carriage Immediately following the
hearse, and with them were Mrs. William
Reprogel and Grace Payne, their little
daughter. As the Payne's carriage came
squarely on the track, the Milwaukee ex-
press, which was four minutes behind time
aud was nearing the city at high rate of
speed, struck the carriage in the center,
tearing 1t into splinters and instantly kill
ing Mrs. and Mrs. Payne and so seriously
inJuring Mrs. Reprogel and Simon Ander-
son, the driver of the carriage, that they
dled within two hours afterward
Scene After Disaster.
cry or horror arose from the people as
soon as the extent of the tragedy was real
lied. Some of the women in the carriages
tainted, while Others wrung their hands as
they ran distractedly over the snow. Sew
eral hundred feet to the south was the train
at a full stop, with curious passengers
scrambling out of the coaches Men hastily
began the work of recovering the dead and
wounded. The shock that had shaken the
flowers on the little white coffin had hurled
the mother OF the dead baby into a barb
wire fence, where she hung by her head a
corpse, with the blood streaming through
the black veil which she wore. In the ditch
and close to the track of the railway was
the young father, with his skull crushed and
the blood trickling over the snow and peb-
bles. He, too, was dead. Father and mother
bad persisted instantly. They never uttered
word after the crash came. Mrs Payne
was taken from the fence by her brother,
who carried her in his arms and cried hyster-
ically as he sought some place to put her
Mrs. Replogel lay near the track. So did
old Simon Anderson, the driver
orphaned Little oracle.
Through the agonizing shrieks of men and
women there came n shrill voice CRYING
"Papap Where's my papa" Standing
on the platform was little Oracle Payne, the
only one occupant of the carriage not NOR
tally wounded in the crash. How she got
there nobody knows 1t is probable that She
was hurled there by the locomotive. Her
dress was sprinkled with blood which came
from her bruised head. She was dazed but
not unconscious. Friends carried the little
orphan to the train their arms
The Funeral Went Its Way.
The white horse with the body of the
baby continued its journey to the grave
yard, where the coffin was placed in the
vault The victims of the express train
were borne to one OF the coaches MIR and
Mrs. Payne were horribly mangled
All who witnessed or know ANYTHING of
the occurrence agree that no warning what
ever OF its approach was given by the flying
train. Engineer Mahoney SAYS that it is
prohibited by law to whistle at the crossing
where the accident took place, but that the
bell is rung by an automatic arrangement
and was ringing at the time. He was ar
rested and jailed
Only Married Four Months
William Replogel, husband of Mrs Rep
logel, was notified of his bereavement They
had been married but four months, and were
very much devoted to each other. The hus-
band is2l years old and his wife was Younger.
They were keeping house, aad she had taken
boarder to aid in swelling the receipts She
had made the humble home very pleasant
and attractive. She was highly respected by
all her acquaintance for her charity TO the
poor OF the vicinity and for assisting the
sick