The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-08-19
HORRID DEATH.
Four Men Riding Under a Rock
Island Freight Car
Crushed Out of Semblanee of
Human Beings
Near the Sugar Mill Siding
Near Topeka.
THE CAR is DERAILED
And the Death of the UnfOrtun-
ate Men
Not Discovered Till Wrecking
Crew Begins Work.

At eight minutes past one o'clock
this morning six cars in the middle of
an eastbound Rock Island stock train
were derailed at the west switch of the
sugar works siding about five miles
west of Topeka Four white men, rid
ing in a cellar or small feed box under
meath one of the deraiIed cars, were
instantly crushed to death. The head
and limbs were torn from one of the
bodies so that only the trunk remained
After removal to the undertaking es-
tablishment of DeNToss and PenweH in
this city three of the men were identi-
fed by letters on their persons They
We're E. H. Mendenhau, Summerville,
Mich; B. H Miles, Onyx, Oklahoma,
and George T. Garfield, Jacksonville,
Ill, or Kansas City, Mo. Nothing was
found in the clothing remaining on the
dismembered trunk that would give the
slightest clue as to the mans name. All
were fairly we'll dressed, and from the
papers found on the three bodies iden-
titled it is believed that they We're
workingmen out of employment and
not professional tramps.
1t was fully two hours after the ac-
ctdent to the train occurred that the
bodies of the four men were discovered.
Conductor A E Walker, Brakemen
Bush and Hall and Engineer Strauba all
of Horton, were in charge of the train,
and as soon as the accident occurred
Walker, Hall and Straub left for To-
peka to secure the wrecking outfit. Sec
tiOn gangs from Valencia and Willard
were also telegraphed for, and arrived
ar the scene OF the wreck about three
o clock It was while preparing to
start the work of clearing the track
that the section men from Valencia
found the body of a man lying by the
SIDE OF one OF the derailed cars On
IuTIher investigation portions of other
bodies were discovered under the same
car
The entire force OF men was at once
called and the work of taking the bodies
from under the car commenced The
car was badly wrecked and lay square
Ay on the bodies of the men, which had
remained between the rails Picks and
ShoVels were brought and the ground
dug out sufficiently to allow the bodies
to be pulled from beneath the wreck
age The two remaining bodies were
removed in this manner and the man
gled trunk was then discovered. This
had been driven into the ground to the
depth Of two feet The head had been
torn off at the neck and the arms and
legs torn off close to the trunk The
pOneS OF the arms and legs projected
from the flesh and the whole presented
a horrible appearance.
When the debris was thoroughly
clears1 away both legs and both hands
WerS found, as was also a part of the
L-7ger jaw
The three bodies, the trunk and the
severed limbs were placed in a caboose
and brought to De Moss & PenwelTs
undertaking establishment in this citv
There they were placed in the mOrgue
and their condition examined The
body of Mendenhau had both legs
broken below the knee, the left arm
torn off, deeply incised wound over
the left eye and -the chest crushed in
until the heart was visible. That of
Miles had the back of the head torn
open, the Lett leg severed below the
knee and the face badly bruised. The
back of Canfield's head was also torn
open and the right arm crushed. The
bodies lay all morning in the mOrglle in
the same condition in which they were
brought in, side by side, with the dis
mantled trunk in the center, presentfng 2
q sickening picture.
Coroner J. NJ. Wester1eId was notf-
fed as soon as the bodies reached To-
peka and arrived at the undertaking.
rooms early in the morning. The pock-
cts Of the clothing were emptied and an
inventory taken of the different effects.
On the person OF G. H Miles was
found a gold open faced watch, pair
of gold link cuff buttons a pair of blue
goggles, match case, 5 cents in money
and several letters. One of these let
ters was from r. G. Forbis of Downs.
Kan; another from H. l. Huff, editor
of the DenisOn, Kan, Journal, and an
other from a brother A L. Miles, in
Colorado Springs. This letter stated
that his mother resided at that place
and gave the impression that the dead
man was a, musician. An L O. O. F
circular was also found among the pa
pers, and it is thought that ne may
have been a member of that order.
Papers on the person of George T.
Canheld proved that he had at one
time worked as a freight brakeman on
the Jacksonville & Southern line A
number of receipts from the Brother
hood of Railway Trainmen as late as
1893 showed that he had been a member
OF that order, and with them was a let
ter OF recommendation from Trainnas-
ter F. A Dunn of the Jacksonville &
southern road. Two other letters OF
recommendation, one from the Appel
Clothing company of Denver and the
other from T. A. Blackstone of Cyfrnar-
ron, Ia, were also found There were
no letters from relatives
In the clothing of E H ATendenbaI
was found S12 in money and a large
batch of letters. One of these letters
was from sister, signing herself FIls
II. and dated at Niles. Mich, Nav 30
1896 Another was signed Mother
and dated Spring Brook, Mich, but
mailed at Niles. Both letters com.
planned that he had not written. ant
requested him to return to MICHIGAN
The letters were addressed to him a
st. Louis A number Of letters signed
Della were dated at St Louis anf
written him in Cripple Creek, Col anC
Coolidge, Kan. Della is supposed +,
have been his wife All of these lei
ters entreated him to return to ST
Louis. There was also a letter ad
dressed to Mrs J. E MendenhaH. Sum
merville, Mich, which ne had starte,
20 write but never finished.