Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1902-09-11
HOW ROUS WAS. KILLED.
RAILROAD COMPANY PARTLY BLAMED
Many Witnesses xamined-coroner' Jury
Give Verdict Tuesday-Funerai OF Hiram
Rous Largely Attended Saturday.

The inquest held before Justice W.
Fl. Gets Monday and Tuesday. to
ascertain the manner in which Hiram
E. Rous came to his death Wednesday,
Sept 3, while crossing the st. Paul
railroad tracks on Cranberry street
about six o'clock. For this purpose
twenty-siX witnesses were sworn and
testified to what they saw in cOnnec-
tion with the accident. From the
testimony we gathered the following
facts. Eleven men were riding on
that wagon just before it was struck
by the freight car. The driver in
front with his feet resting On the
wiffltrees, four on the side facing
north; four on the side facing south
and two on the back or west end.
Some jumped before the wagon was
struck while others were knocked off
when the freight car struck the left
hind wheel OF the wagon. From
all the testimony 1T was proven
positive that none of these eleven
men saw that car and engine coming
down upon them until the team OF
horses drawing the wagon was on the
main track where the accident hap
pcned. Every man that jumped west
Of the main track came out unhurt
excepting John Margeson, who was
struck on the right hip and shoulder
and thrown west Of the main track;
all those who were knocked off
apparently were hurt. All the
testimony seemed to indicate that the
deceased jumped off the wagon just
before it was struck and landed on
the main track just ahead Of the
approaching car. Before he could
recover his equilibrium the bumper
on the car struck him and knocked
him down, the car passing over him
and thus be was killed.
The conductor e. G.. Boyer, the
engineer, A. j. Lambert, the fireman,
Forest Blake, and the two brakemen,
r. p. Ra@son ana Frank CalliIan all
testified to the fact that they were
on the car and engine which struck
the wagon in the regular discharge Of
their duties. They swOre that the
engine and car were going not to
exceed five miles an hour when the
car struck the wagon. The bell on
the engine was ringing and as soon as
the conductor saw the team approach
ing he signaled for the engineer to
stop and the engineer did stop.
The time fixed by all witnesses was
sos o'clock p. m. The place on main
track Of G. NJ. 81 ST. p. railroad where
it crosses Cranberry street The body
was dragged 120 feet south of the
must have been very much excited as
they saw no one about the place after
the accident except those who had
been hurt, yet the inquest proves that
twenty-Six people were in the
immediate vicinity Of the place of the
accident and saw some part of it.
The inquest consumed two days
and one evening in getting at the
truth as to just how the accident
happened. Besides the jury MeSSrs.
d. ID. and W. j. Conway, representing
the G.. NJ. & st. Paul Co, and II. G.
Wipperman and w. E. Wheelan,
representing clients who were hurt by
the accident, were present. At the
close OF the proceedings the jury
rendered the following verdict which
we append in full. as follows:
VERDICT OF THE CORONER's JURY
An inquisition taken at the city of
Grand Rapids, in the county Of Wood,
and state of Wisconsin, on the 9th day
OF September 1902, before w. III. Getts,
one OF the justices Of the peace, of the
said county, upon the view of the
body of Hiram E. RouS, there dead, by
the jurors whose names are hereuntO
subscribed, who, being duly sworn to
inquire on behalf Of this state, when,
in what manner, and by what means
the said Hiram E. ROus came to his
death, upon their oaths do say: That
the said Hiram E. Rous came to his
death September 3, 1902, at the city
of Grand Rapids, in Wood county,
Wisconsin, and in the yards of the
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail
way Company at a point where the
tracks OF said company cross Gran
berry street in said city, by being run
over by a Chicago & Northwestern
box car numbered 36754, drawn by
engine numbered 653 belonging to the
said Chicago, Milwaukee & ST, Paul
Railway Company, with E. G. Boyer
as conductor and A. j. Lambert as
engineer. That the said Chicago