Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1899-09-19
KILLED BY AN ENGINE.
William M. sterrett's Awful Death
Saturday Evening.
HEAD, ARMS AND FEET CUT OFF
Accident Occurred on the Trestle Near
Wabash Brldge-Details of Acct
dent Only NIeagre-lnquest
This Afternoon.

|
This Afternoon.
From Mondays daily.
William NJ. Sterrett. residing at 62S
East Mill street, and employed as a
teamster by Jerry Seymour, met a
horrible death Saturday night between
II and 12 o'clock. He was run over by
an engine and literally torn to pieces.
His head was entirely severed from the
body and both feet and arms were
also dismembered. The right leg, from
the hip to the ankle, and the trunk of
the body were torn and mangled into
a shapeless mass. Although the head
was severed from the trunk, the fea-
lures were not marred and there We're
only few slight bruises on the face.
The remains were picked up by the
police and coroner and conveyed to the
undertaking parlors of Coroner John
lO'Donnell, on West Second street,
where an inquest is being held this af-
ternoon.
Details of the Accident.
The accident occurred just east of the
junction of the tracks at the north APP
nroach of the Wabash bridge, and it is
thought that an engine and a freight
car passed entirely over the body, while
second engine. which ran onto the
lifeless form, was stopped only after
the body had become completely
wedged in the lower gear OF the loco
motive.
just how or when the accident occur
red is not known definitely. The
body was first seen by Frank Nelson, q
Milwaukee switchman, but life was
then extinct. The supposition is that
Sterrett was struck by Wabash en-
rine, which passed over the road a few
minutes previous to the Milwaukee
switch engine, to the crew of which Mr..
Nelson belongs. The Wabash engine,
supposed to have killed AIR. Sterrett,
is a freight encine, No. 232, and arriy-
ed in the city from the south about
II o'clock, Saturday night. 1t was at
once turned over to Jim Coe, the host
Ter at the East End Milwaukee round
house. where the Wabash engines are
onartered in Ottumwa. G. W. Cramb-
lit, an employe at the round house,
was with Mr.. Coe and they at once
started for the engine quarters. Both
men claim that they did not see Ster-
rett and did not know til had run
over man until some time after the
accident occurred. It is not known
definitely that Sterrett was killed by
the Wabash engine, although an exam
ination of 232 revealed the fact that
there is a quantity of blood on the
wheels.
| About IS minutes after the Wabash
engine passed over the spot where
Mr.. Sterrettss body was afterwards
found. the Milwaukee switch engine
No. 1864, in charge OF the night crew,
came along with a car load of stock
which had been brought in on the Wa
bash freight for the packing house Of
John Morrell e. Co. The car was being
pushed ahead of the engine and was
running at the rate of about ten miles
an hour. The switchmen, Frank Mel
son and, Will Morrison, were on top of
the stock car, and just before the car
struck Sterrett's body, Nelson saw it.
He instantly signalled the engineer,
Norman Riley, to stop, and the short
train was brought to a standstill with
in cars length. The body was found
under the engine, wedged so tightly
that 1t was with much difficulty re-
moved.
The police and Coroner John O'Donr
nell were notified, and, assisted by the
railroad men, succeeded in picking up
the remains, which were scattered
along the track for thirty feet. The
head was found on the right side of
the track about ten feet from the cross
ing, and the right arm was about one
half way between the head and the
body. His hat and shoes We're scatter
ed along the track, the former being
found right at the crossing.
The minute details of the accident
by which Mr.. Sterrett came to his
death are. unobtainable. 1t is supposed,
however. that he was under the in
fluence of liquor and was enroute home,
He was seen earlier in the evening by a
number of acquaintance, and while
they all say that he was not intoxicat-
ed to any great degree, yet he was
somewhat under the influence of liquor.
1t is possible that he fell down on the
en- stupor. None of the trainmeh saw
him before Switchman Nelson discover
ed the body, and he is certain that
Mr.. Sterrett was dead when he first
saw him. Both Mr.. Coe and Mr.. Cramb-
H. wiz were OH the WABASH engine,
say that the man was certainly down
on the track or they would have seen
him.
William NJ. Sterrett was born seven
miles southeast of Bloomfield, Davis
county. March 1860. He came to Or
tumwa in March, 1888, and in the same
month was married to Miss Almeda
Powers, who, together with five chill
dreh. survives him. Prior to his resi-
dence in, this city, Mr.. Sterrett resided
with his parents on the farm near
Bloomfield. During his residence in
Ottumwa he has been employed q
greater part of the time as teamster,
and was in the employ of Jerry Sey-
mour. in that capacity when his death
occurred. The deceased was indus
trious and seldom out of a position.
He was addicted RI the drinl, habit and