The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-07-22
Harry Umstaedter and william IVES
ling Run over and Crushed by
a Freight Car.
WERE SITTING ON THE TRACK
THEY WE'RE WAITING TO SEE A
GAME OF BASEBALL.
Both Young Men Were Sole upport
Of Their Mothers-Rny Pearson
Badly Injured.
ead

Dead
HARRY UMsTAEDTER. twenty years
old, 1850 Hoyt avenue. killed outright.
WILLIAM WESLING, nineteen, 1926
Hoyt avenue. died at ST. Vincents Hos
pitaI.
injured
Ray Pearson. Hoyt avenue. arm and foot
mashed.
Escaped
Dan McGrath. III Hoyt avenue.
Arthur Brown, Viii and Lexington ave-
nues.
By the death yesterday morning of Harry
Umstaedter, 1850 Hoyt avenue, and William
Wesling. 1926 Hoyt avenue. sorrow was car
ried into the homes of two women.
The young men lost their lives by being
run over by a freight car on the Big Four
side track about one hundred feet east OF
Hoyt avenue. The accident occurred at
$3.50 o'clock. The track there is several
hundred feet long and it is used for the
storage of surplus cars. These cars remain
on the track for days and sometimes weeks
without being moved.
The heat yesterday seems TO have been
the direct cause of the loss of life and the
injury of Ray Pearson, living on Hoyt ave-
nue.. who also came near losing his life.
On Sunday it has been the practice for
men and boys In the vicinity of the acct
dent TO congregate on the commons TO
watch ball games. They have also been
known to assemble there for the purpose
of shooting craps, 1t being out of the way
and not In the direct route of policemen.
Yesterday morning Umstaedter. Wesling.
Pearson, McGrath, Brown, Otto Beuke. of
1919 Fletcher avenue. and John Anderson,
of 1923 Hoyt avenue, made their way TO the
commons and because of the heat sought
the shelter of the freight cars, which 1t was
known were seldom moved.
DANGEROUS POSITIONS.
Umstaedter took a standing position at
the end of a freight car, which was the
last of a string extending along the side
track for about two squares. McGrath and
Brown took seats on the west rail. Wes-
ling sat upon the rail with McGrath and
Brown between himself and the last car of
the string. Pearson sat on the east rail.
Beuke and Anderson were on the track
about one hundred feet away from the
others.
Without warning the last car was moved
by unseen power. Umstaedter. who was
leaning against the car. was knocked down.
The front trucks Of the car passed over his
body while It lay between the rails. The
rear trucks crushed his chest and head aft
er the car ndu Deen IN some manner lHIoWH
from the rails and ran about thirty feet
upon the ties. His body was pinned to the
track by the trucks and it was necessary
TO get the wrecking crew to lift the car be-
fore the body could be taken out.
The front trucks of the car ran over
Wesling's legs, MASKING one and fractur-
ing the other. 1t was thought by some
that the car was derailed by running over
Wesling's legs. He was taken at once 10
st. Vincent's Hospital, where the right les
was amputated near the thieh and the lett
Ia~ cot opI fnCaGa6 In nlaCfaT handAXCG
He was unable 10 survive the shock and
died about 5 o'clock.
To the derailing of the car may be. ac-
cording TO witnesses and his own statement
TO Deputy Coroner Knox. attributed Pear
sons slighter injuries. He was sitting OH
the other rail from that occupied by Wes-
ling. and the car in running of the rails
turned slightly away from him. thus giving
him more time to get out of the way. but
not before his arm and foot were mashed.
A peculiar thing about the accident was
that McGrath and Brown. who escaped IN
jury other than very slight bruises, occu.
pied seats on the rail with Wesling and be-
tween him and the car.
LARGE CROWD GATHERED.
About the time Of the accident young
men from all parts OF the South Side were
assembling on the commons and soon a
large crowd had gathered. There was
great excitement. Deputy Coroner Knox
was early on the scene and secured from
a VI lht NANhCSotS has SldlcInCHl, anu
all are practically the same.
The derailing of n car Is also said to
have been caused by a stone which had
been placed on the rail under the wheels.
This was afterward found to have been
mashed. No one knew whether or not n
brake on the car was set. 1t is a common
practice by some trainmen to place stones
or pieces of wood under the wheels on such
tracks rather than get on top of the cars
10 set brakes.
Beuke and Anderson. who were some dis
lance from the car when the accident
happened, had their backs turned at the
time and were unable TO state just what did
occur.
The car was moved by reason OF a string
OF cars having been run on TO the switch
so fast that when they struck the string
already there all were moved. The last car
I'm the lot. which was not coupled to those
ahead of II. was forced a distance OF about
thirty feet. its path being shown by in
dentations in the ties and rOadbed.
Mrs. Wesling. whose husband died about
a year ago. and Mrs. Umstaedter, whose
son was her only support. were Frustrated
last night because OF the accident. From
each was taken the strongest member OF
the family and upon whom each relied al
most wholly for care or support.