Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1897-09-02
FELL FROM Fl TRIM.
Thomas Mcmahon, Former Grant County
Man, Loses His Life In Nebraska In n Tragic
Manner.


Thomas McMahon, former treasurer
Of Grant county. was accidently Killed
by falling of of train in Nebraska
"Wednesday evening. Aug. p, 1897
The particulars OF the sad event are
given in letter from his sister
20 his brother Mr.. john MeMahon OF
this city. The letter Is a follows
HASTINGS, NEB.. Aug. q. 1897.
DEAR BROTHER JoHN:-We arrived
home this morning my daughter
Bertha and l. from Minden. which Is
80 miles from here west on the =. y
NJ. Rv., where we had gone the even
ing previous. the 26th, called by wire
III this way Thomas Mcmahon dead
at Minden, in coroner's charge. Look
after him" signed O. Haywood. Pail
SADIE. Hays Co., Neb This was sent
me from Palisade through telegram
sent to this man by the coroner ana
his name was ascertained by the find
inc of letter on the person, from
Haywood. l replied to the coroner
also to Haywood that | would be
there on the next train which would
get me there at 10:40 in the evening.
/ did not learn the circumstances OF
brother death until arrived in the
vicinity Of Minden, when two gentle
men on board of train stopped to talk
near TO where we were sitting. They
spoke Of Thomas and Hastings and
wondered why he did not GO on with
them to Lincoln and stop at his sis
ter's on his return with them. The
republican state convention was be-
mo held on the goth and he with 9TH
err delegates was on his way down to
attend, as he always attended these
conventions.
On hearing these men talk | asked
them if they were delegates returning
from the convention; they said they
were. also asked where they were
from. One said from Hayes Center,
whereupon l asked if they knew
Thomas, One of them who said he
was county clerk of Hayes county re-
piled that brother was an intimate
friend of his and saw him every day;
that Thomas with several others
started for Lincoln to the convention,
came down to McCook on the B and
NJ, bought their tickets at 10 o'clock
Wednesday morning and got on the
train with the delegation. They had
been discussing the probable outcome
of the morrow. The gentleman
(the county clerk) last saw him
about fifteen minutes before the &C.
cident as the distance when found east
Of Axtel was five miles from latter
place and five miles west from Min
den.
The clerk told that brother was sit
ting with Judge Abbott of Hays Cen
ter. who is also newspaper man,
when brother said aloud, Boys, if we
expect to do good work in convention
we must have some sleep" AS it
was after O'Clock they all got ready
for quiet rest as they had been trav-
cling all day to reach McCook.
1t is believed that Thomas opened
the door and stepped out on the plat
form to get some fresh air when the
train lurched and threw him forward
clear off the track, falling on the
right side Of his face which married
the flesh butnot seriously. His body
was not injured at all, neither were
his clothes, which were a new suit OF
dark navy blue. soiled but little
The surgeon whom | had brought
in to examine him said It was the
force OF the fall (The train was max
ing up lost time) that caused his
death. breaking a blood vessel in the
head
He was killed instantly rs his posi-
ton when found proves he did not
realize any suffering for which ! feel
thankful His grip and hat were dis
covered on the car near his seat when
daylight came which was then east Of
Hastings. His comrades asked where
he was. As his grip was there some
said he was in the other coach they
thought. After time they looked
for him. He was not on the train
and they thought he might have got
ten of at Hastings to see Us and
would come on the next train which
would be FIVE hoars later. and had