The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-09-12
NECK WAS ON THE RAIL
But How He Came to Be in That Posi-
tiOn Is Mystery.
WANTED TO CROSS THE TRACKS
And the Crew of the shifter Started the
Car Moving at About the Same Time
A Familiar Citizen
who Had Many
Friends.

A fatal and at the same time most
revolving accident occurred Monday
night shortly before Z o'clock at the
South Cherry street crossing of the
Pennsylvania railway track. The ia
tality occurred to Edward l.. White,
more familiarly known to citizens gen.
orally as Jerry" who until recently
made his home with the Patton family
in South Cherry street near Douglass.
The news of the death of White was
received with mingled pain and sorrow
by his many friends and relatives, and
the manner of his death was extreme
ly sad.
Half an hour before the accident
Jerry" left the home of the Pattons
stating that he would walk over to
Market street to call on some friends.
Evidently he walked up Cherry street
to the track where a shifter of the
Pennsylvania line was standing with a
number of cars which were being
coupled preparatory to moving them
about the yard. The sidewalk and
street were blockaded for a short time
ana seeing InlS, Jerry CNLuSH'lS
wishing to cross eXpeditously, he walk
ed back few steps on the south side
Of the track and on the west side of
Cherry street in the vicinity of the c.
T. & V. freight depot and climbed
through a vacant place in the high
board fence where some boards had
been torn off, and started across. Just
10, I, !, ,f- hn1
over the rail and under a car which
was standing there is not positively
known. The crew of the shifter start
ed ahead at the same time that
Jerry" climbed through the fence or
had reached the railway track, to push
their cars further up the track. a
grating noise met their ears and when
the two cars standing there had run
over the crossing, the body of a man
was discovered on the track by one or
the men. The train was Immediately
stopped and thf men assembled about
the bo6y lying along side of the track.
1t was horrible sight which met their
gaze, for in the center almost of the
track lay the nearly severed head of a
man, with the body just outside OF the
rails, showing that the wheels had pass
ed over his neck and bisected the body
from the head. a crowd began to
gather, but the features were not i'm
mediately recognized. Coroner s ~,uf.
fell was summoned at once a.,6 ,,,hen
he examined the body ne found kew
tag upon which was engraved the
name OF E. -. White. When the dead
body was first recognized by those
who had been familiar with Jerry White
in his lifetime, and expressions Of sor-
row were heard everywhere. Miller &
Blanchards ambulance was called and
the body was removed to the morgue,
and from thence it was to the home Of
a sister Of White, Mrs. j. r. Silvers, at
412 North Newton street, from which
place the funeral will take place at a
time to be announced later.
The deceased was SO years of age and
was born and raised in this city. The
father of Jerry was a shoemaker, Ed
ward White, who at one time had a
small shoe shop on the property now
occupied by the Farmers bank in East
Tuscarawas street. The elder White
had attained an age of about Is years
when he died in this city 20 years ago
The mother of Jerry, kindly old lady
as she will be remembered by the Older
citizens, was formerly Elizabeth Smith
the daughter of a wealthy Pike town.
ship farmer. She was about SO years o1
age at her death about three years age
in this city. The White family con
sisted of quite a number of children
those now living being George b. White
of Chicago, an expert advertising man
James E. White of this city, who re
sides in South Cherry street, Mrs. J
b. Silvers, of Newton street, and Mrs
Henry Furney, of Jackson street
When the war of the rebellion re
quired the enlistment Of its patriots
sons, Edward L. White enlisted il
Company K of the 10th o. V. l., in thi
city, then officered by James M. Jay
father of Frank Jay of this city. TIL
deceased served throughout the fv
years OF the war, re-enlisted when hi
time had expired, and he received an in
jury at the battle of Vicksburg whc
he carried through his lifetime. Will
engaged behind the trenches durin
that memorable campaign, a she
burst which threw a hard lump of dir
or solid matter into his left eye. II
was knocked down and otherwise Sc
verely injured, but the injury of his ey
was permanent and the hearing in on
OF his ears was entirely destroyed
His defective eyesight compelled hin
to observe the continuance of otht
than his regular labor and for man
years after the war ne was engage
ia the works Of the Fearless Reap'
Company as painter until that con
pany suspended business. The govern
ment granted him pension forthwith
on account of the injury of his ey
Since last April he has made his hon