The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-25
THREE FARMERS KILLED
A WAGON, ON WHICH THEY RODE, AT
OAIxLANDON, HIT BY AN ENGINE.
William and Joseph TuttIe and wash
inston Kirby, of Hancock
County, the Victims.

Three farmers living at Mohawk, Han
cock county, were instantly killed yesterday
afternoon, about l o'clock, at Oaklandon, a
small station on the Decline division of the
Big Four Railroad, about fourteen miles
from this city. The men were on a log
wagon, which was struck by a freight en-
CINE. The dead are:
WILLIAM FUTILE. aged forty-five
years
JOSEPH FUTILE, twenty-five years.
WASHINGTON KIRBY, twenty-five
years.
Oaklandon is in Marion county, about one
mile this side of the Hancock county line,
and Coroner Brayton went out from this
city to hold the inquest.
William futile was an uncle to the two
young men who were with him on the log
wagon. The trio had taken the wagon a
few days ago from Mohawk to farm near
Fall creek. in this county, and there had
assisted a relative in cutting and hauling
legs. Early yesterday morning they started
to drive to their home. On the log wagon
bed had been placed, and in this the men
rode
The road which passes through the center
of Oaklandon, a hamlet of perhaps thirty
houses runs from the north to the south,
and in crossing the Big Four Railroad ap-
proaches from either direction on a down
grade, the railroad track running through
a cut at this point
William Vess jeff CLAY, John Broad
linger. III. c. Share p. ]. McConaha and
several others were standing at the railroad
crossing when they saw the log wagon ap-
preaching from the north. At the same
time they heard a train coming from the
southwest. The team Of horses attached to
the log wagon was going at a fair gait,
and the men at the crossing shouted to the
driver, warning him Of the approach Of the
train William Tuttle, who had the reins,
attempted to check the animals, but mo-
ment later he saw that he could not do so
on account of the grade so he loosened
the reins and whipped up the animals, hop
ing to cross the track ahead of the train,
the rumble of the which could be heard.
The horses dashed on to the track and
cleared 1t, but the engine Of the train caught
the wagon just back Of the front wheels
and crashed 1t to splnters.
Washington Kirby was hurled twenty-five
feet away and fell dead switch. Will
lam and Joseph futile went up in the air
and fell back on the pilot bar of the engine
their heads close together and their arms
almost in an embrace. Not a groan nor q
word was heard from either of the men.
Death was instantaneous. Both horses es-
capped.
The train was fast freight No. go. which
left Brightwood at 1906, with John Nc
Kinney in charge of the engine. At the
scene of the accident the train was making
an up grade, but after the wagon was
struck the engineer was unable TO stop his
machine till it had gone an eighth of q
mile. The two men were lifted OFF the pilot
and laid on the ground near by. The entire
population Of the village turned out and
gathered up the pieces of the wagon The
dead men were left to await the arrival of
the coroner, the belief so often prevailing
in country towns that the body of a man
killed in an accident must not be touched
till the coroner views it having hold on
the people OF Oaklandon.
Coroner Brayton was not able to reach the
place on freight train till nearly o'clock
in the afternoon. He found that the two
juries to their heads, which were crushed
in. The bodies were otherwise severely
bruised Kirbys chest was crushed In by
the conclusion The features Of none of the
statements of all the witnesses and then
turned the bodies over 20 O. d. Klepfer,
a local undertaken. The verdict will exon
crate the railroad company from any blame
in the matter. All the witnesses testified
that they had shouted a warning to the trio
when the wagon was forty or more feet
away from the track. There is no automatic
signal bell at the crossing, although there
is one of the usual warning signs which the
company maitains at all crossings. The
freight train proceeded on it's way after the
accident. The villagers say that there has
only been one other fatal accident at the
crossing within the last thirty years.
William futile had been divorced from his
wife, and the two young men were unmar-
ried. Mohawk, where the three men lived
is a small village in Hancock county. a
short distance beyond the Marion county
drinking liquor. Their bodies will be taken
to their homes to-day.