The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1903-06-26
death CAME IN
TERRIBLE FORM
Boy Killed While Riding on Main
Street Car.
BODY FRiGHTFULLY @ANGLED
ANGEL ROPER STRIKES AN
ELECTRIC LIGHT POLE.

A NOEL ROPER. the 15-year-old son
4 Of Charles H. Roper, proprietor
of the Iowa livery stable. was
killed while riding on a Main street
car from the circus grounds last night.
The boy, who was standing on the
foOtboard outside the guard on the
side OF the car, was caught by a foot
spike in one Of the electric wire poles.
His body was mangled and torn. then
thrown under the trailer of the car
and crushed by the wheels.
With the vital organs almost torn
from his body, the boy lay on the track
until he was picked up by a doctor.
He lived about ten minutes, but died
without having regained conscious
ness A large number of people wit
messed the accident. but il was sucn
a frightful one that they could not be
induced TO tell a thing about how il
occurred for some time afterwards.
The identity of the boy was not dis
covered until his name was found in
his cap at the morgue. His parents
were not told of his awful fate last
night. The father was not at home
and the mother was not told for fear
OF the consequences. she being i'll.
Boys Jumped on the Car.
The accident occurred about 10
O'Clock last night, half way between
Fifth and Sixth South. on Main street.
The car that killed the boy was the
one used for meeting trains and was
in charge Of Conductor b. T. Bost-
wick and MotOrman Frank Pickering
According to the statement Of those
VINO were on the car. a number Of boys
jumped upon the fOOtbOard Of the
trailer on the pole side. after the car
started from the circus grounds. The
pole guards were up and the boys hung
outside OF these, where passengers are
not supposed to be
Both cars were filled with people.
The boys, it is said, were lodging
about, trying to keep out Of the sight
of the conductor. who was working
his way back collecting fares. Sud
denly there was cry and the passen-
gers looked around in time TO see one
of the boys caught between the car
and pole, then thrown under the
rear wheels MOtOrman Pickering felt
the car jerk and brought il TO a stop
as quickly as possible Running back
to where the boy lay. he called for a
doctor DR. Raley, who happened to
be on the car. came 10 his aid The
boy was still gasping and was carried
to the side of the street.
Death Came Soon.
The patrol was called to carry the
lad TO a hospital, but ne was dead be-
fore the wagon arrived. No one in
the crowd knew the boy and he was
parlOrs Of Joseph Z. Taylor. In his
pocket was found q school report. Civ
ing his name. and it was also written
in the top of his cap.
An examination of his body showed
that it had been torn by sharp in
strument and crushed. From the
wound 1t appeared that a foot spike on
the pole had caught the boy in the
and ripped it almost to the
arm pit. His leg was also broken iE
several places, evidently caused by the
trailer running over him. There were
several bruises on his head, apparent
" caused by coming in contact with
the pole
AS soon as the identity of the lad
was learned superintendent o. P. Ar
mold of the street car company notified
the uncle, George d. Roper OF his
nephew's death. At the request Of the
former no word was sent TO the
mother.
Conductor BOstwick says that he did
not see the boys on the car. as he was
busy gathering fares and had not got
ten back 10 where the lads were. The
first he knew Of an accident was
jump by the car indicating that II hal
struck something. MotOrman Picker
ing says the car was running only at
half speed, and as soon as he felt the
jar he stopped.
Jumping on and Of Car.
A woman passenger who would not
give her name. told Conductor BOst-
wick that young Roper had been jump
ing on and of the car all the way from
the circus grounds, and she cautioned
him several times to get away from
that side of the car Only a few mo-
ments after warning the boy she
heard a scream and felt the car jump
as it ran over him.
Mr. Arnold states that he spent the
watching the cars to keep boys from
jumping on them. and he thought he
had been successful until he heard OF
this accident. He declares that ii is
impossible to keep the boys from get
ting on the pole side of cars.