Bridgeton pioneer., 1897-10-28
BOY KILLED.
Right Arm and Leg Cut OFF. He Lived a
Few Hours. An Inquest viii
he Held.

be Held.
Merton L. Poole, the 14-year old son of
Samuel and Flora Poole, met an awful
death Saturday afternoon. He was en-
ployed at McIntyre's glass factory and
was taking his incoming with the rest of
the boys. About this time the Port Nor
ris freight is due here and it was while
they were drilling the train and making
1t up at East Bridgeton when the accident
to the lad happened.
The train on the Port Norris branch of
the N. j. G. R. r. was drilling at the East
Lake glassworks, when Poole and several
other boys jumped on the cars for ride.
He was on about the sixth car of the
train and as it passed coal platform of
the East Lake works, Merton swung
around and was struck by the projecting
platform, throwing him off the car. Jos.
Mathers who was standing close by
called to the brakeman to stop the train,
but it was too late. Merton had been
stunned by the blow and had fallen to
the track and under the wheels, the train
passing over him.
Mr.. Mathers and the train hands ran to
his assistance and found horrible sight.
Tho lads right leg was cut off clean near
the knee. His right arm mashed to the
elbow and he had a severe cut on the
head. Strange to say with these terrible
wounds he was conscious.
DR.. j. R. G. Thompson was telephoned
for and in very short time he was at the
scene of the accident. The unfortunate
lad was placed on couch and carried by
Mr.. Mathers and the brakeman to the
office of the East Lake glassworks and a
hack telephoned for. DIR. Thompson
made the lad as comfortable as possible
easing his pains considerably.
The boy was taken in Rynick's hack tc
his parents home, 28t Bank street. Thai
was sorrowing home His mother sob
bed bitterly when she learned what thu
trouble was.
, While coming in in the hack the lac
, was conscious, and every little jar of tn,
coach he would cry out that it hurt him
When he got home and saw his mothe
he exclaimed Mother my leg is Off
He was carried into the house and gently
laid on bed, which was brought dowl
into the sitting room. He lay there
bearing the terrible pains he was suffer
ing, until DIR. Thompson, assisted by Dl
M. K. Elmer, began the examination O
his terrible injuries.
They found that his right arm wa
mangled to the elbow, the thumb an,
IS forefinger being cut off and his han,
split open, also the arm. His right le
.. was cut off at the knee, and mangle
: . several inches above. His left foot wa
e mashed, three toes being broken. Their
. was scalp wound, and bruises in severa
8 places on his body. All the time Mertol
was conscious, and in answer to the ques
ton from the doctor of how he felt, b
said, "I feel all rightn' and seemed hope
full.
a 1t was found necessary to amputate th
j arm, and DR.. Thompson performed th
n operation, taking off the arm about al
= inch and half below the elbow, makin
- very successful amputation. The la,
], had lost considerable blood, and it wa
!, found necessary to abondon the opera
= ton on the leg until later in the day, bu
y the boy died from exhaustion about ST,
O'Clock.
The boy was the oldest child of Samue
and Flora Poole, there being fou
> younger children. He was what wa
. known as snapper-up at Mcintyre
glass factory. He was active and full O
life, and favorite among his associates
who mourn his awful death. The boy
! has been the sole support of the famil.
: for>some time, his father having been on
of work for nearly year. Mr.. Pool
has only been at work on what they cal
ttSnara work., for about a week