The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1900-07-26
SKULLFRACTURED.
John Cole, Of Coletown, Crush
ed Beneath Wagon Wheels.
Ritter Goss, of Red Rock, Will
be Called Upon to Answer
A Serious Charge.

Death beneath the wheels of a
heavy farm wagon, is the fate which
befell John Cole while he in COM
pany with friend Jscob Dirk, were
returning home from bicycle ride
Saturday night. The casualty occurr-
ed short distance above Benton.
The circumstances of the tragic affair,
in SO tar as we have been able to
gather them are as follows: Saturday
afternoon Cole and Dirk left the'r
home in Coletown, with their bicycles
to ride to Benton. They reached their
objective point, and remained there
until quite late in the evening. 1t
was nearly eleven o'clock when they
mounted their wheels and started on
their homeward journey. The trip
until they reached point just across
the Edison bridge, was without Incl
dent. Here they overlook four men
in big wagon. Deslrous ofreaching
home as soon as possible, and as the
road was not sufficiently wide to pass,
Cole called to the driver of the wagon
and asked him to allow them to pass.
His request was met by sarcastic re-
joinder, which to give 1t verbatum
was "no d - man can 60 around
this team" Concluding that the driv-
er was under the influence of liquor,
and realizing the danger surrounding
an attempt to pass, they remained in
the rear until about mile had been
travelled. Cole then thinking that he
could 60 around, made squirt, to one
side, but he was noticed by the driver
Ritter Goss, who, maliciously and will
| fully turned the team over on him.
The unfortunate man was crused be-
meath the huge wheels of the wagon.
Fully aware of what he had done, and
knowing that his victim was either
seriously injured or dead, Goss never
stopped the wagon, but continued on,
Dirk was some distance behind his
companion at the time, and when he
arrived at the spot where the accident
had taken place, was horrified to find
his friend lying by the roadside and
blood flowing from his mouth. He
called to him but received no answer.
Then bending over the PROSTATE form
he found that life was nearly extinct.
DR.. Whitley of Benton was hastily
summoned, but death took place be-
fore ne arrived. A conveyance was
secured and the remains taken to Ben
ton and placed in charge of undertak-
er Ira McHenry. In compliance with
the law in such cases, coroner's jury
was impanelled on Sunday, composed
of DR.. J. w. Wlnley, S. F. Appleman,
J. J. Mather, DR.. l. E. Patterson,
Russell Karns and Lowry Cole. The
finding of the jury was as follows:
''The dead man was John Cole, ,and
that he came to his death on the pub
lie road leading from Benton to Jami-
son City and at point near Edwards
dam where the mill race crosses the
aforesaid public road in the township
of Benton, on July FL, about 1890 p.
M, by means of wound inflicted by
a wagon passing over the head of John
Cole causing a multiple fracture and
that the wound was administered and
death caused by the wilful, malicious
and unlawful act of one Ritter Goss
and others by wilfully and maliclously
running down John Cole and deliber-
ately driving over his body and crush
ing his skull, thus causing his instan-
taneous death"
Armed with a warrant for the arrest
of Goss, Constable Boyd Gibson, went
to Red Rock on Sunday. He secur-
ed his prisoner, and brought him to
Bloomsbury Monday morning. With
out bail, Goss was given cell in the
jail, where he will remain until the
September term of court.
John Cole was born near Unity
vile about twenty seven years ago.
AT the age of four years he became a
member of the household of Lafayette
Unger, with whom he lived until he
was eighteen, when he began life for
himself. For more than a year past
he had been employed in saw mill
at Coletown. From person who
was intimate with him, we learn that
he was of quiet disposition, and res
pected in the neighborhood in which
he resided.
Thara ora mora rricouarc confined