The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1897-04-07
CRUSHED BY A
FREIGHT TRAIN |
Leopold Benecke Met with an Awful
Pate Last Night.
DIED AT The MINERS HOSPITAL.
Business Reverses Drove Him From the
Town and he Got on a Freight
Train to Get a Free Ride to
New York
DIED AT The MINERS HOSPITAL

A distressing accident occurred at about
eight o'clock last evening on the Lehigh
Valley railroad and near place i'm the
eastern outskirts Of the borough known as
the "red bridge" The victim was Leopold
Beuecke, aged about p years, and
ieweler. He fell beneath a freight train and
thirty-four cars passed over his left arm and
leg.
Benecke rented part of the storeroom at
10 South Main street in which A. p. Smith
conducts an oyster saloon. The place has
two large show windows, In one Bcnecke
made a display of a small stock of second
hand watches and other articles in the
jewelry line. Benecke was employed for
some time by Ike OIkin, the ieweler. before
embarking in business for himself At about
four o'clock yesterday afternoon Beuecke
told Smith, the oysterman, that he had con-
cluded to give up business and go to Ashland,
where a position awaited him. Benecke was
not seen by his friends until his mangled form
was picked up on the railroad. There are
two stories of just how the accident occurred.
Benecke stated while receiving attendance
from the doctors that he jumped ON the freight
train Mt the Lehigh Valley station with the
intention of getting a free ride to New York.
as he was without sufficient money to pay his
fare; that when the train was passing under
the red bridge one of several men who were
also stealing a ride on the train shouted,
Look out for the police ~ and he jumped
from the train; as he did so his body struck ono
of the abutments of the bridge and threw
him close to the rail on his back so that his
arm and leg extended under the train. The
crew Of the freight train assert that the un-
fortunate young man attempted to board the
train at the red bridge. The train was going
at a fast speed at the time aud Beuecke slip
ped and fell to the ground.
The train by which the victim was maugled
was the Empire freight No 552, east bound
When the accident was discovered word was
sent back to the Lehigh Valley station and
an empty engine standing there was sent to
the scene. Benecke was picked up and taken
to the station, where Drs. g. NJ Hamilton
and w. n Stein made an examination and
/ found the arm hopelessly crushed from the
shoulder to elbow and the leg in a similar
state from the knee to a point just above the
ankle. The doctors temporarily dressed the
/ injuries and the victim was then taken
to Ashland on the engiue that had
| brought him from the bridge At Ashland
an ambulance was in waiting to take the un-
fortunate to the Miners hospital at Fountain
| Springs, where he died at three o'clock this
morning after the arm had been amputated at
the shoulder joint and the leg at the middle
of the thigh, DR.. Biddle says death was due
TO shock following the amputations but that
the injuries themselves were of fatal char
acter.
Benecke was perfectly conscious while
being attended at the Lehigh Valley depot
and spoke freely to Rev. John Giuhler, pastor
Of the German Lutheran church, who had
been summoned. Beuecke said he was
about "a years of age, had no relatives in
this country, and that his parents reside in
Berlin, Germany. He asked Rev Gruhlei
that his parents be notified in case he should
die and papers giving their address would b,
found in his trunk, which he had left al
Smiths oyster saloon He stated that he bat
been unfortunate in business and had i'm
tended going to New York to look for work
Conductor Ford, who had charge of th,
engine upon which the victim was taken t,
the station and Ashland, says That Benock,
told him bp had a sum of money concealed
in his shoes. Smith, the oyster man, saw
there must be a mistake about this and tia
if Benecke had any money it did not amour
to more than $l2O. Dr Biddle telephone,
in answer to an inquiry from the HERALI
to-day that when Beuecke's clothing wa
searched at the hospital only 81 10 was foun,
In the clothing and no money was found il
the shoes