The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1890-03-27
STRUCK BY THE TRAIN.
KILLED INSTANTLY!
And Left Lying for Hours Beside
the Track. -


been called suddenly to the other world.
Monday evening, some time between eight
and half-past eleven o'clock, Mr.. John
Backus, resident of Milwaukee, visiting
his law, Nicholas Herman, in this
city, was killed by train on the Chicago &
North Western Road. The body was found
about half past eleven o'clock by youth
named Antoine Reickerts. 1t was laying
between the main track and the switch,
head to the south, about twenty or twenty
five feet from the crossing on Bronson
street. Mr.. Backus left Mrs Zeitler's sa-
loon on the North side about eight o'clock
and started for home, but he apparently
changed his mind and started for Mr.
MichaePs place. Mr.. Michaels was a
cousin of Mr.. Backus and had left the sa-
loon about fifteen minutes before the latter
did and as Mr.. Backus was
beyond his son-in-laws home
it is thought that he was on his way
to Mr.. MichaePs home That would take
him out on Bronson street beyond the rail-
road tracks. Bronson street is the first
street south of the Burlington road 1t is
probable that the freight train from the
north struck Mr.. Backus as he was crossing
at Bronson street. The body was knocked
twenty feet or more to the south where it
lay when found. The engineer certainly
was not attending to his duties properly or
he would have seen him, but he did not, and
the train Numbered on, leaving the man
gled and broken body laying there in the
darkness. How long the body had laid
there before being accidentally discovered
is unknown, but railroad company whose
engineers will run into a pedestrian cross
ing the track in the city limits, kill him
without seeing him and leave his dead
body laying for hours beside its tracks, GER
tainly requires the attention of the city au-
thorities. Such carelessness and reckI less
ness is criminal.
Young Reickerts had a lantern with him
or he would have stumbled over the body
AS soon as he discovered what it was he
went over to Mr. Michael Ernst's house
and got him to go back with him They
went back to the body and then went and
brought Herman Schennerman to stay with
the body while they went after a police.
maL. They found officer Frank Lane, who
sent them to the Sheriff and sent John
Milward to notify Justice Slater. Mr..
Slater and Sheriff Harmon Immediately
went to where the body was laying and
found Mr.. Schenneman on guard. After
viewing the body they sent the undertaken
to get it. The head was found crushed al
most fiat, the breast was crushed in and
both legs were broken off below the knees.
The deceased came to Kenosha about two
weeks ago to visit his son-in-law and in
tended to go out to Dakota after Easter and
live with a son out there. He was sixty
seven years old. The Coronor's jury met
in Justice Slater's office Tuesday afternoon
at five o'clock and after hearing the evil
dence in the case, returned the following
verdict:
An inquisition taken at the city of Keno
sha, in the county of Kenosha, on the 18th
day Of March, A. D. 1890, before John G.
Slater, one of the Justices Of the Peace of
the said county, upon the view of the body
of John Backus, there dead, by the jurors
whose names are hereunto subscribed, who
being duly sworn to inquire on behalf of
this state when, in what manner and by
what means the said John Backus came to
his death, upon the oaths do say that the
said John Backus came TO his death on the
oath day of March, 1890, at the city of Ke-
nosha, in said county, by being struck by a
locomotive running on the main line of the
Chicago & Northwestern Railway, and
censure the said company for the careless
and reckless manner in which they run
their trains within the city limits; and fur
Their, we are of the opinion that said acct
dent was caused by the engineer failing to
keep proper lookout.
VIM. J. BOYLE,
JOHN MILWARD,
NELs BUCHTRUP,
MICHAEL D. ERNST,
c. ORTIZ,
AUGUST KoBER.
The readers of the TELEGRAPH CoUR-
Ter we're given the views of the friends of
the eight room school building in very
good article last week. This paper well
comes all friendly discussion Of these mat
tiers in its columns, whether the writers
agree with the editor or not, and it thanks
those who disagree for replying in its col
umns. One of the advocates of the twelve