Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-06-13
/ TRAGIC Death.
BENEATH A B. & o. FREIGHT
At Benwood Junction, Early Yester-
day Morning, While ON His Way
to Work-The Verdict OF the Cor
Oner.

any Morning, While ON His Way
to Work-The Verdict OF the Cor
Oner.
/ Shortly after o'clock yesterday
morning Frank Plankey, OF No. 27S4
South Chapline street, who is employed
at the B. & o. carpenter shop at Ben
wood Junction, was struck by B. & O.
freight engine while OF his way to work
| and was instantly killed.
Plankey and companion, Joe More,
| also of this city. went down to Benwood
on the first street car, and as they were
too early to catch car on the Mounds
vile division, set out to walk the re-
naming distance to the Junction. AS
they passed the signal blocks at the
north end of the yard, More noticed that
! it was ten minutes after six O'Clock.
| At the time they were walking between
the main tracks, and when they had
/ proceeded short distance further down
their attention was attracted to two en-
gines ascending the heavy grade TO the
bridge.
The engines in their efforts to get the
train up the grade made great amount
of noise, and the two men as result
did not hear the freight train coming
up behind them. Plankey, for some I'M
known reason, stepped from between
| the tracks onto the track on which the
freight was approaching. He had hard
ly gained the centre of it when the en-
| CINE struck him. The engineer made a
desperate effort to stop the engine, but
without avail. In the meantime the
body was being dragged beneath the
engine and when it was finally brought
| to a stop and the unfortunate mans
body was drawn out, life was extinct.
| One arm was frightfully mangled and
the head was so badly crushed as to be
hardly recognizable.
| His Son Notified
| The deceased's son. who is a machln-
list at the yard, was at once notified of
the unfortunate accident, and he accom-
| panied the remains to Friends under
ed for burial. Coroner o. A. Lacey, OF
Benwood, decided that an inquest was
Unnecessary, as it was well known how
the deceased had come to his death. He
rendered a verdict that the deceased had
come to his death by being accidentally
struck by an engine on the b. G. o.
line.
The engine which struck Plankey was
No. 554. which draws the first section of
No. SO. the early freight, down from
Pittsburg.
| A Mexican by Birth.
During the war with Mexico. Captain
Plankey of this city. served with the
United States army, and while there be-
came interested in a small Mexican boy
about six years of age. He enquired
about the boy and found that both his
parents were dead When Captain
1
Plankey was ordered home he brought
him with him. He adopted him and
educated him. This Mexican boy was
Frank Plankey.
/ When the civil war broke out Captain
Plankey was ordered to take command
of Company G, and young Plankey en-
listed as a private and served through
| the war. At the conclusion of the war
he learned the carpenter trade under
| John Donlan, the builder and contractor
| Twenty-Five years ago he entered the
service of the g. & O. as carpenter at
| the shops in this city, and continued in
their service when they were removed
to the Junction, and has remained with
| the company ever since
The deceased was always a staunch
| Democrat and was one of the most high
4 ~ respected citizens of the South Side
and his death is widely regretted. He
was about sixty-two years of age and is
survived by a wife and four children.
The funeral will occur tomorrow af-
ternoon at o 80 O'Clock from his late
home on the South Side.
! Picnic and Outing. Zane Lodge No.
| L. s. of H., Mozart Park. Thursday,