The record-union., 1891-03-01
AN ONLY SON.
How Daring Little Joe Francis Lost
His Life Yesterday.
Tossed Beneath a Moving Train and
Mangled in an Awful
Manner.

The mangled form of little Joe Franci:
yesterday at noon and laid on the operat-
ing table. He, with a number of play
mates, was at Third and r streets wait
ing TO board the Placerville freight and
accommodation train as it came around
the curve towards the city The Francis
boy saw what he thought was favor
able opportunity to jump onto the plat.
form of the caboose, and he made the at
tempt. Conductor Luxon saw him take
the daring chance, and moment later
was Mortified to see him lose his hold
and swing underneath the car. He inn
mediately rushed to the lever of the air.
valve in the car and stopped the trair
with jerk.
AN AWFUL SIGHT.
Several parties had witnessed the acci-
dent and ran to where the little fellow
was lying PROSTATE on one side of the
track. The mother, father and sister o
the boy rushed frantically from thC
house-only block distant--and a hor-
| rible sight met their gaze. The right leg
OF the boy was Gangled and crushed
from the ankle to the hip, and the arm or
| the same side OF the body was lacerated
and crushed from the elbow to the shoul-
der. The flesh was torn from the bone
and the muscles and veins were plainly
visible.
Tender hands lifted the helpless form
into the caboose and it was taken to the
hospital. The mother and sister, almost
crazed with grief, followed, and the scene
in the Receiving Hospital was most pitt
ful. The little fellow never lost con-
| sciousness, and was embraced time and
again by the frantic mother.
AMPUTATIoN USELESS.
Doctors Nichols, Huntington, Briggs
and Gardner arrived shortly after the ac-
cident happened, and on examining the
case agreed that amputation of the limbs
would be but a waste Of labor, as the
death Of the little lad was but Il question
of a few hours. The flesh on the hip was
torn in such a manner that ii would have
been impossible to have cut out flap tC
cover the bone, had the leg been ampu-
tated. They also found a severe bruise
on the lower portion of the abdomen,
The shattered limbs were wrapped in
damp towels, and the doctors left him Ia
the care of the family.
The Francis are devout Catholics and
Joe was confirmed couple of months
ago. The scene around the operating
table after the doctors went away was
heartrending, and even Kavanaugh. the
-, ""' i.oNSS " tct,iS. ne
father stood by, crying like child, and
the mother
DROPPED ON HER KNEES
And prayed for her son, as only mother
can. His sister covered him with kisses
and tears intermingled, and tried tc
| assure him by words that he would soon
get well.
The first words spoken by the brave lit.
tie fellow We're: Mamma, you'll have 9
mass said for me, Won't you; and tell 9
priest to come down. L want to see
! him."
| Father Haupt was sent for. and on ar
irving heard the confession of the boy
and administered the sacrament of EX-
treme Unction.
At half-past 2 o'clock he began to lose
his power of speech, and the last words
| he uttered were:
/ I'm GOING TO DIE. COOP BY"
| The father, mother and sister babe hin
last sad farewell, and he expired at fit.
teen minutes to 3 o'clock. He was Il
| years old.
The doctors say he suffered no pain, as
all of his nerves We're deadened by the
awful accident. Doctor Nichols says he
was one of the coolest and pluclliest little
| fellows he has ever had occasion to at
| tend.
The father of the deceased is Joseph A
Francis, the foreman in Frazier's lumber
yard. The mother and daughter, Miss
Mamie Francis, complete the family.