The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-15
MAN KILLED AT CROSSING.
Great Deal of Trouble i'm Identifying
the BOdy of David Thomas

David Thomas vas instantly killed yes
terday afternoon by a cut OF cars on a
switch running from the l. & V. tracks TO
the stoneyard OF the bank Of the river
near CONF & Fletchers penthouse. A
freight engine. IL charge of John Lynch as
engineer. Fred JOslin as fireman. Frank
Holland as conductor and y. A Slusher as
brakeman, was switching cars. In making
a flying switch" which means that the
engine, after a fast run. discOnnects from
the cars and let's them &c as far as they
can. three cars were sent across Kentucky
avenue and Merrill street al great speed.
The engine and its crew were at Kentucky
and River avenues, about a block away.
"A boy. Emil Benninger, ran 10 the cOnduc-
tor and said a man was underneath the
cars on the west tracks. One of the en-
ployes of the Parry Buggy Companys
warehouse was standing near and he in
vestigated When ne looked under the cars
he saw the body OF Thomas. RE ran 10 d
telephone and notified the police station.
The patrol wagon. with DR. Kennedy. OF
the City Dispensary was sent 10 the place.
DR.. Kennedy, with WagOnman Hollahan.
made preparations TO take the man from
beneath the cars. The clothes were torn
from the body. which lay doubled up in
frog. IL was placed In the patrol wagon.
Many people gathered to look at the body.
house came over and several of the men
said the dead man employee of the
packing house and in their opinion his
name was Steele. They said he was al
ways called "HOneySuckle." This opinion
was accepted as correct, and the body was
taken 10 the city mOrgue. as no one knew
where the man lived. At the o'clock roll
call number of patrolmen went into the
Tnorgue to see If they could identify the
body PatrOlman Frank BOlen said he
was positive that the mans name was
Frank Hoffman and that he formerly
worked at SchlSsellS bathhOuse al Wa
bash and West streets. This identification
was also accepted and preparations were
made 10 find the mans family.
About O'Clock the family Of Thomas,
living at so South West. street. began to
grow uneasy on account OF his absence.
They had been told that man was killed
at the ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS crossing, His wife
went TO several OF her friends and asked
them 10 go 10 the mOrgue and see II the
dead man was her husband. One of the
young men living next door went 20 the
police station and. after looking at the
body, said he was or opinion mat the
man was Thomas. lie telephOned for the
mans son. who lives in West Indianap-
oils The arrived. but he would not
20 into the mOTgue, accepting the opinion
Of his friend The police department was
Yet in qUandary, as no one had given
n definite identification. AT IL o clock
Raymond Crane, Michael Clark, Anthony
NauEhtou and william Miller, who are
also neighbnrs OF the Thomas family, went
10 the morgue As soon as they looked at
the body :hev said IL was ThOmass.
Thomas was ffty years old, and was the
father Of ten children. He was employed
for a number OF years cooper at King
ans pork house About a year ago he
was struck by a Nandalia engine at the
West-strcet crossing and severely injured
One thigh and one arm were broken at
that time. He filed a damage suit against
the railroad company for his injuries The
suit IS now pending IN court