Mexico weekly ledger., 1900-07-19
LIGHTKINGs AWFUL WORK.
@. P. Tut, ca. Lee and ". P. Harmed
Narrowly Escape Death-Thought
That All WIN Recover.

The Buncston Cooper County, MOI
Eagle Of Friday, july Is, contains the
following account OF the almost mir
a~culons escape from death Of three Of
that couuty's best known citizens,
who were the victims OF q bolt of
lightning. Mr.. o. P. Tut, who re-
csived q revere ehock, married Miss
Bena Grantham, q sister Of Mrs. 8. P.
Emmons, OF this city, and w. P. Har-
ned is q brother Of Mrs. Walter Will
lame, OF Columbia. The Buncet1n
Eagle says
Probably never before In the history
Of Bunceton have the people OF this
community been go shocked as they
were on Tuesday evening about i've
O'Clock when word reached town that
O. p. Tut, q. A. Lee and W. P. Har-
ned had been struck by lightning
and seriously II not fatally injured
while at work In an oRt field near
Vermont. 80 awful was the news that
those who heard could a believe
II true. DR.. Williams was notified and
hurried to the scene OF the accident
90 tast as his team could take him.
The writer followed and on reaching
the Geld southeast Of franklin school
house and west Of the railroad, about
hall q mile from the residence on the
the old Harmed homestead, beheld a
scene such as we can never forget.
Under a stunted tree that grew but
little higher than the tall hedge, and
almost touching q mule that had been
killed by thaSbolt, lay Mr.. Harmed and
Mr.. Tut. The former showed some
signs Of life, but the latter, with eyes
set, muscles rigid and face drawn, had
: never moved and was apparently
dead. Mr.. Lee, though suffering
great pain, was not In so precarious q
condition as we're the others. He was
/ able to talk and recognized bis neigh
bors. DR.. Williams and others acting
under his direction did everything
possible to revive the injured, and
much to the surprise OF those who
were fret on the scene, Mr.. Tut be-
gan to show signs of life.
> The means, cries and inarticulate
mutterings of the injured we're heart
rending and awful. Strong men shud-
dered and sickened ct the sight and
sound.
Messengers had been sent to break
J the sad news to Mrs. Harmed and to
have the house made ready, for the
clouds looked threatening and 1t was
thought best to move the men at once.
I Two wagons were covered with bum
dies OF cats. Mr.. Harmed was placed
on one OF these and Mr. Tut on the
ether. Mr.. Lee was lifted into q bug
} gy. The start for the house was made
and slowly the party moved along
while threatening thunder rolled
above. When the house was reached
Mr.. Harmed was carried up stairs, Mr..
Tut into one room down stairs and
MIR. Lee into another. At this time
the men seemed, II possible, to be
suffering more even than when in the
field. They were covered with blank
cts and heavy luilts. Water was
heated and hot irons were made
ready, for the men were cold almost
as death.
By seven O'Clock II wal thought
that without some unexpected turn
: Mr.. Lee and Mr.. Harmed would re-
cover. Mr.. Tut, too, had rallied
some, but still II looked almost like q
fght for life against hope. strong
medicines, snch az whiskey, stxych-
nine and nitro glycerine were used
TO keep alive the vital spark that re-
manned.
} DR.. Redmond, OF Upton, and Or.
Patterson, Of Bunceton, were called
BY telephone, and lost no time in
coming, DR.. Redmond making the
trip on a hand car. All night long
the nght was kept up. When morning
came the watchers we're hopeful, for
, even Mr.. Tut was greatly improved.
IL is now thought that all will re-
cover. Yesterday they were doing ss
. well at could be expected under the
circumstances
On the day Of the accident Mr.. Tut
and Mr.. Lee had gone TO Mr.. Harned's
place to help cut oats. When the
cloud came up both men were on their
machines, but work wal stopped and
the horses taken out. A little while
before this Mr.. Harmed had gone out
to the field, and when 1t commenced
raining the three men took shelter I'M
der q small tree In the hedge. The nine
head Of horses and mules were stand
ing near when the lightning struck
one Of the mules belonging to Mr..
Harmed and killed 1t instantly. Mr.
Tut, who wss within q yard of the
animal's head, sprang into the air and
fell backward. Mr.. Harmed, too, was
apparently lifted of the ground and
thrown on his face. MFR. Lee was .
few steps distant, bat not far enough
10 escape, for he fell with the others.
A horse standing near the mule that
was killed was stunned, but later got
up. Several men who wers 10 the
field at the time, and who witnessed
the llghtning's work, were u~niDjured.
Mr.. Harned's little son Walter, who
stood near his father, was not hurt.
This community could III afford to
lose three such men as Messrs.
Harmed, Lee and Tut. They are all
successful farmers, all heads of fami-
lies and all honorable, upright gentIe-
men. Both MI. Harmed and Mr.. Tut
are prominent shorthorn dealers, the
former being proprietor Of the Idle
wild herd; and the latter owner Of the
Ashwood Shorthorns.
Sweat and fruit acids will not
discolor goods dyed with PUT
NAM EADEI Ecc DIVES