Bridgeton pioneer., 1899-09-28
FATAL INJURY.
Young John virgins Meets Death by an
Accident,

Young John Wriggins Meets Death by an
Accident.
Just how little John Wrigeins met the
awful accident which resulted in his
death can never be definitely determined.
That his body was horribly mangled by
freight car is certain, and death followed
from the shock.
When the 1,45 p. m, train arrived at
the West Jersey and seashore depot yes
terday. there was attached big baggage
car. filled with the scenery of the com
pany that is playing at the Opera House
this week, It was necessary to shift the
car, that it could be unloaded, and Engi-
neer Iszard pulled it from the passenger
track, ana switched it over to the freight
side OF the yard, and backed it down at
the end of long string of freight cars,
which were being unloaded. 1t was not
the intention of the engineer to have the
baggage car touch the freight train, but
he missed his calculation just a trifie,
and as the baggage car backed into the
freight train the long string of cars were
moved southwark, possibly a foot-not
more.
Immediately there was a piercing
scream ringing in the air, and following
the sound those working about the freight
yard were Mortified to find the form of a
little boy pinned under the cruel wheels
of next to the last car.
Instantly there was greatest excitement
The wheels had passed over the legs of
the boy, and he was held fast by the
weight of the heavy trucks. He could not
be pulled out, and it was necessary to
make two connections in coupling up the
train before it could be pulled off the
little fellow. This took several minutes.
which seemed much longer to the ago
nized crowd of people that were gathered
about, their hearts wrung by the piteous
appeals of the child for relief.
Finally the child was extricated from
his awful position, and placed in wagon,
and hurried out to the hospital.
DIR. ]. G. Appellate and DIR. Henry
Elmer, attending physicians at the Hos
pital this month answered hurried sum.
mons, and DR.. Sites was also called to
the Hospital.
These learned physician soon found
that the injuries of the lad were such that
he could not possibly recover. The left
leg was entirely severed from the body
above the hip, while the right leg was so
>rribly fractured that it would have
been necessary to amputate it above the
knee had the boy lived. There were
other serious injuries about the lower
part of the body, and the little fellow
rapidly sank until a little after six o'clock
life was extinct, and his sufferings were
over.
The boy was John Wriggins, the eight
year old son of William virgins, and
he lived with his grand mother, Mrs.
George w. Hall, 73 Orange street. He
was always about the freight yard,
Station Agent Hoff having more trouble
in keeping him away from danger than
almost all the other children who insist
in playing about there, despite the vigil
lance of the officials. Yesterday after
noon he must have been sitting on the
track directly at the wheel of the car
He could not have been thrown from the
car or knocked down, for the car did not
move sufficiently far to have caused him
to have been thrown down.
sTis worth bag of gold." This ap-
niles with special force to Hoods Sarsa-