Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1897-05-06
How Fred Jenkins Died.

From the Falls City, Neb., News,
April 30, we gather the following
relative to the death and funeral of
Fred Jenkins:
erred Jenkins and Bishop were
bridgemen in the employ OF the Rock
Island Railroad company and Were
ordered to Beatrice from Topeka.
They reached their destination in
time to attend to duties Sunday
morning. Until noon their attention
was given to bridge near Bear
Creek. At / o'clock raft was
brought into service to transport the
railroad men across the creek to the
Blue river. The raft was anything
but substantial and Bishop refused
to attempt to cross upon it. Four
bridgemen and five section men were
upon the raft, and scarcely had they
reached the center of the stream,
which at that point was 100 IT. wide,
when the raft began to sink. AS the
men fell into the water, Bishop saw
"A big, burly section hand grab Jen-
kins, and during the excitement he
heard some one cry, let go of me,
and thought it was Jenkins voice.
One Of the men swan to shore while
the others, excepting Jenkins, were
rescued by means of ropes thrown to
them by those on the bank.
Fred Jenkins was good swimmer,
but lost his life through thoughtless-
ness, incident to the excitement, of
the man who held him down.
1t was not until Monday morning
that the Rock Island made any at
tempt to recover the body and then
it was done at the command of the
coroner. The body was found at
II 30 Monday morning within five
feet Of the place where it went down.
Below is the verdict of the coroner's
jury:
Fred jenkins came to his death on
tho 18th of April, 1897, in Riverside
township, Gage county, Neb., by
drowning in Bear Creek, while cross
ing on u raft while employed by the
Chicago, Rock Island q Pacific Rail
road company and repairing its
bridges over said creek.
We, the jury, further find from the
testimony that the G. II. |. d y. rail
road company aforesaid is guilty Of
criminal negligence I'm not provid-
ing proper and safe means for trans
porting their employees across said
creek, and thereby causing the death
by drowning of the said Fred Jen-
kins.
"Thc remains arrived here Tuesday
night and the funeral was held
Wednesday afternoon ut 2:30 at the
residence on Lano street, Rev. Joel
A. Barker, officiating. The floral Of
ferings were most beautiful. The re-
mains were inferred in Steele ceme-
try.
Fred Jenkins was born at Mineral
Point, Wis, July rs, 1869, whore he
lived until II young man. He grad
uated from the high school of that
place in 1887 and n year later gradu-
ated from prominent commercial
college of Chicago. In 1888 he
moved with the family to Atkinson,
and came to Falls City in 1890. He
was II young man of many sterling
qualities, n christian, and one who
numbered his friends by his ac-
quaintances. Io enjoyed the cs-
teem and confidence of all who
knew him.
Besides his mother he leaves four
brothers, Messrs. Tom and John Jen-
kins, of this city, Samuel of Illinois
and George of Atkinson, Kan, and
two sisters, Mrs. Wilcox, of this city,
and Mrs. Chas. Cox, of Mineral Point,
Wis. All were present at the fun
eral but Mrs. Cox, who arrived too
late. TO the bereaved mother, sis
ters and brothers the deepest SYM
pathy OF. all is extended