The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-03-23
LIFE CRUSHED OUT.
Henry Knecht is Struck by a
Mahoning Street Car,
And Dies at Police Headquar-
ters About Two Hours Later.

Pathetic scene when His Daughter Ar
rived Few Minutes Before Death End
ed His suYerings-Particu of the Un-
fortunate Accident.
A MahoninR street electric car struck
Henry Kneck, = farmer, and injured him
so badly that he died one hour and half
afterward. Knecht was widower forty
eight years of age, and daughter and
two sons survive him.
Just one year ago Tuesday, Knecht and
his daughter came to this country and a
short time later took up their residence in
this city, the father engaging in raising
garden truck. They tenanted house on
East Maple avenue, in the northeastern
portion of the city. Mr.. Knecht was
known as a hard and industrious worker.
Tuesday morning, his daughter states, he
started away from home to take in q
"sale" being held south of town. II was
rather a late hour when he turned his
steps homeward, choosing Mahoning
street as his way.
An electric car was rolling down Ma
houing street about go o'clock. Motor.
neer Thomas Dzer was driving the car
along at the ordinary speed. He states
he rang the gong several times and the
last time he sounded the warning was at
a crossing in front of No. 105. Only a few
feet ahead of the car he saw man stand.
ing off the crossing in the muddy street.
1t appears he made no effort to get out of
the way of the car, evidently thinking II
would stop for him. Dizer saw him only
an instant in the darkness when he re-
versed the switch to turn back, but the
impetus of the car was enough to slide it
onward far enough to strike the man and
throw him between the wheels. Several
men were called and with heavy timbeTs
one end of the car was lifted up and with
considerable difficulty the uucoD scious
man was extricated. He was at once carri'
ed into house nearby and from there taxi
en- to police headquarters by Officers
Jacobs and Williams with the patrol
wagon.
DR.. j. +. Hudson was summoned and
made an examination of the mans
injuries. Knecht was breathing heavily
and his life was then fast ebbing away.
The bones in his chest, neck and left arm
were broken into may pieces. A small
cut only was prominent in his face. Both
shoulder bones werr badly crushed. Very
little was done in attempting to restore
the man for he was already too far gone.
He died few minutes past 10 o'clock.
Miss Mary Knecht had been called and
she came in just before her father died
The scene was one full Of pathos
as the young lady clasped
her arms around the unconscious form of
her parent and gave way to q paroxysm
of grief. Coroner Conklin was notified
and he instructed Undertaken Schilling to
take charge Of the remains.
Motorman Dizer stated to a News DEM
oCRAT reporter, shortly after the accident,
| that the street was very dark where
Knecht was struck. He said he did no.
see him till his car was only about eight
feet distant from him. Then he reversed
| bis current, but the car Slid onward. He
says the car wheels did not roll over the
man, although other parties state they
did. In releasing Knecht the car, No. 23'
| was thrown off the track and il required
some work to put it back again.
Knecht has two sons living in Portland,
1 OISs lAS hau III AiS pOShOAs 80 ~ III SGsu,
| a handbook showing balance of S74.09, a
knife and few papers. People residing
| along the street state that Dizer was drivs
ing his car along at the ordinary rate OF
| speed. The motorman is considered one
af the most careful on the line, and this
fact, coupled with the fact that the street
was dark at that point and Knecht was
L standing on the track several feet off the
street crossing right in the way of the car,
would seem to vindicate Dizer from any
blame, as he made every effort to stop the
car in time to save the man from being
\ struck.