The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1900-10-05
Terrible Death
Of John Frush
An Engine Struck him Fracturing
his Skull, Breaking his Neck
and all his Right Ribs

The funeral OF John Frush took
place Saturday afternoon at 3 O'Clock
and interment was made 10 the Gus
ter graveyard on the Weston pike.
About $40 o'clock Friday morning
AS Joseph Schultz was coming to work
at Hart Brothers machine shops, he
ran across the dead body Of Mr.. FruSh
on the w. Va. s. p. division u the B.
s. o.. railroad at point 200 yards
south Of the corporation line and
about half mile north OF the pump
station. Schultz notified the. city
authorities and, upon request OF
Coroner W. r. Alexander, Justice
Riley took charge OF the inquest. The
body was brought to the Osborn
Stealey undertaking establishment
where DR.. A. o. Flowers examined 1t.
He found the skull fractured, the
neck broken and all of the ribs on the
right side crushed and broken.
Squire Riley empanelled S. w. Cor
don, f. +. Lowther, Hugh Callahan,
c. b. Bradford, Washington Everson
and L. ]. Lilly as jury. Joe Schultz,
VIM. vannort, Alexander Isenhart,
George Isenhart Miss May Watson and
DIR. A. o. Flowers gave testimony.
Miss Watson said, in substance, she
saw Mr.. Frush pass her house about
s:45 O'Clock and that special engine
hauling coach went south about Is
minutes later. Mr.. Frush was going
in the direction of his home and was
not drunk. She heard the train
whistle but not as if some one had
been killed"
Joe Schultz said he found the body
lying on the west side Of the track,
face downward: his head was plunged
into the ground about an inch and his
left foot was resting on the end of one
Of the cross ties of the track. His
ha twas between two cross ties.
Alexander Isenhart saw him pass at
nearly 9o'clock and thought he had
barely time enough to walk to where
he was killed before thr train came
along behind him. He had his head
down, as II In a deep study, and was
not drunk.
The jury returned for their verdict
these words, "John Frush was killed
by external violence and we believe
that he was struck by an engine haul
/ ing a special coach on the w. Va. &
p. division Of the b. & o. railroad on
the 9th day of September inst. at
about 8 O'Clock p. m. of that day."
Mr.. Frush must have been killed
instantly, as there were no signs OF a
struggle. Its believed hewas sitting
on the end ola cross tie when struck.
i His family has been so sorely az
| tlicted the past several months, that
some believe his death bordered on
suicide. Lately he complained that
he would rather be dead than alive.
In early summer four or five of the
children had typhoid fever and recent
ly all of them eleven in number had
whooping cough and one of them both
typhoid and whooping cough. And
last Thursday, the day of his death,
| one of his small boys dislocated one
of his elbows Mr.. Frush brought the
boy to the city in "A buggy, had Drs.
Morgan and Howell to reduce the
fracture, took the boy home, returned
fn the Afternoon with the livery bug
gy, and proceeded to walk home. He
leaves his family in destitute cir
cumStanccS.
Mr.. FruSh was 56 years Of age. He
was Il well-known mill wright and a
very competent and skilled workman
| in that line. He SAW service as a mem
Der of the Third Old Virginia infant
~ in The civil war and had good war
record.