Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-12-01
GLOOM
Came Instead of
Joy.
Home Prepared For.
Thanksgiving Feast
Turned Into Place Of
| Lament and Sorrow.
Head Of the House Brought
Home Dead.
Especial Correspondence)

a Pennsylvania nyer on thanksgiving
evening. was attended by circumstanc'
cs peculiarly ssd and distressing. He
lsr his home about 3 o'clock, Thurs
day afternoon, telling his housekeeper
that he would return to supper at the
usun time. she prepared the meal and
awaited his coming until late hour
at night. In the meantime his son,
Albert Kertscher, at home for Thanks.
giving from nm Akron business college,
had retired In expectation OF his faith
er's arrival later in the night.
His daughter, Mrs, Clara Roineck,
had also arrived in Ravenna from Can
ton on the preceding day with her hus'
band, George Reineck, and the two
were at the home of his parents, not
yet having visited her father.
Mrs. Kertscher, wife of the unfortu
nate man, is confined in the hospital for
the insane at Massillon.
Early next morning, the son, alarm
cd on learning Of his fathers non.ap
pearance, Immediately instituted q
search, and while he had no difficulty
In tracing his uptown whereabouts the
afternoon before, he was unable to To-
ca te him after about o'clock
The Kertscher home is u few rods
west Of the Cleveland & Pittsburg
tracks, in southwest Ravenna, and
about one mile from the business cen
ter Of the town Although the railroad
Is the most direct route uD town. he
made It an undertaking rule never to
60 that way, and continually cautioned
his family not to do so. This dis
armed the son Of the fear that his faith.
el had met with accident on the track.
He continued the unavaillng search,
the daughter in the meantime not yet
having visited her fathers home, and
not knowing OF his absence. About l
O'Clock she and her husband started
for the Kertscher home and on reach,
ing the railroad crossing of the high,
way, Just below the house, saw group
of men standing around n PROSTATE
human body They approached nearer
and saw the body of man lying face
down in the railroad side ditch, near.
| ly buried In mud and bloody water and
n ghastly wound in the left side from
which the bowels were protrudng Al,
though every man in the group had
known Mr.. Kertscher for years, none
were able to identify the mutilated,
blaclSened form before them and when
the daughter asked If anyone knew
who he was, she received negative
reply, upon which she and her husband
proceeded on their way to the house
their hearts divided between pity FOL
the unknown victim and the Joyful an
tlcpa ton OF meeting the father whom
she had not seen since September
when he was In Canton to attend the
funeral OF brother-in-law.
A minute later they were at the dool
and learned OF her fathers absence
and tho awful truth came upon hel
with crushing agony.
"oh, my God, It is my father" sh,
cried, rs she fiew down the road 10 tn,
iRIlroad track. ooh, know 1t is he,
she continued, "for see! there is tn,
coat no wore 40 many times" pointing
TO the garment which had been rent IL
entire length.
II was only too true and kind hand
gently led the grkefstrckcn daughte
back to tho house Of her childhood day
10 which she had como with fond OK
pvctatlons Of happy meeting with tn
father to whom she had been tru
daughter during long years Of the poo
mothers atllictlon,
Tho picture OF teh daughters over
whelming sorrow has background o
intensified shadow in the sudden horro
of afictIon that came to her 10,
years ago.
She had just been happily Marie
and was at her new.made home bus
with the cares OF n radiant young VIII,
hood, when she was told one day tina
her husband had been thrown unde
the wheels OF Il, & q, train an
crushed and mutiated into instar
death, She was recently married TO he
present husband and now Is facing
second sorrow OF unutterabc depth.
The hat and umbrella of the unfortr
mite man were found on the pilot @
the engine on it's arrival In CLEVELAND
Funeral services We're held sunda
at the UniversaliSt church conducte