The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-12-23
CRUSHED TODEATH
BY TROLLEYCAR
William J. PierSOn Instant.
ly Killed Last Night.
LYING ON THE TRACK
WHEN CAR CAME ALONG
Car Men Say He Had Been
Drinking.

w. J. Pierson, the father Of DR.. ]. c.
Pierson, was run over and crushed to
death by car No. 50 on the East Sew
enth South Rapid Transit line about 9
o'clock last night. The accident oc-
CURED near the corner of Seventh
South and Ninth East streets, within
a half a black Of the unfortunate mans
home. Mr.. PiersOn had gotten of the
car preceding No. SO to go home, bur
it is claimed by the car men that he
was under the influence of liquor and
instead of going home he must have
lain down upon the track and gone to
sleep.
a man who reached the scene short
Iy after the accident, however, said
that the first car was only two or three
minutes ahead of No. So. The latter
car was in the charge of Conductor j.
J. McFee and MOtorman John Nelson.
According to the story told by the
mOtOrman, ne was just about at the
end of his run, which extended to
Ninth East, when the accident oc-
CURED. He did not notice any thing on
the track until he got nearly TO the
curve, when he suddenly caught sight
Of a hat, and then discovered the form
of a man lying stretched out between
the rails. The car was almost upon the
PROSTATE man before he was discovered
and the efforts of the mOtOTman to stop
the car were futile.
Instantly Killed
The mans feet were toward the car
and the motor, which caught and
crushed him to death, passed almost
over him before the car could b.
stopped. The wheels did not pass over
the man, but he was SO badly crushed
that death is said to have been instan-
taneous. AS soon as the car was
stopped the car men and two paSsen-
gers rushed TO the front, but found
that Pierson was pinned down so that
he could not be pulled out. A number
Of people rushed to the scene, but moth
ing could be done until a wrecking
crew was called from the power house
and lifted the end OF the car on jack
screws. so that the body could be re-
moved.
The dead man was not recognized
until after he had been taken out
from under the car, and his wife
and family knew nothing of their be-
reavement until the news was broken
to them by a. friend. The older chill
.dren- were away from home and knew
nothing of the matter until late last
night Mrs. PiersOn, who was at home
alone with her small children, was al
most Frustrated by the terrible shock.
The body, after being removed from
under the car, was carried to the side
walk. where DR.. Bowers, who had been
summoned, made an examination. but
found that death had been almost in
Simultaneous, The body was not taken
home. on account Of its crushed cOndi-
ton, but was conveyed to the under
taking parlOrs of s. y. Evans.
Think He Fell Down.
The family, when seen last night,
said they could not account for the
presence of Mr.. PiersOn on the track.
unless he had fallen down and the last
car was so near the front one that he
was struck before he had recovered
himself and gotten off the track In
regard to the statement of the car men
that he had been drinking, some of his
relatives said that he had been seen
only d short time before the accident
and was then not in an intoxicated
condition It was said, however, that
he was addicted to the use Of liquor
The relatives of the deceased say that
an investigation viii be made and an
inquest will probably be held tomor-
row.
The motorman was almost overcome
when he learned what had happened,
and had to be sent home
The deceased was 90 years Of age and
had been in Salt Lake since 1873 He
came here from Westfeld. y. J., where
he was an influential man. He has
number of prominent relatives IN that
state and also leaves four children bV
his first wife living in that place. He
leaves a wife and four children, Of
whom Dr. I. g. PiersOn is the oldest,
TO survive him here. His sister, Mrs.
Benedict, the mother of Dr. 9 NJ.
Benedict. also lives here.
Mr.. PiersOn has not of late been en-
gagged in any business, but was en-
DIoyed during the summer as a track
man on the Rapid Transit car line His
body viii be held at Evans undertak-
ing parlors to await the inquest. The
funeral arrangements Will be made
later