Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-08-25
A TRAGIC ACCIDENT.
F. A. HoUk MEETS HORRIBLE
DEATH-HEAD SEVERED.
RUN OVERLY CARS son WABASH BRIDGE
Prominent Farmer Who Resided Near
chilIicothe Instantly KiIed-Severed
Head Falls in River and Cannot Be
Found-Leaves Wife and Children.

The headless body of F. A. Houk
frightfully mangled and bruised was
found on the Wabash rail-
road bridge Thursday night
about IL o'clock. The discovery was
which arrived in the city about 9
made by Arthur Clark young man re-
siding on Madison avenue, who was
walking over the bridge on his way
home. The young man stumbled over
the body lying on the ties outside the
rails and was Mortified upon striking
a match to find that the head and
part of the left shoulder were severed
from the body. The police were at
once notified and took charge of the
body. A tag on the clothes and note
found in the dead mans pocket both
bearing the name, F. A. Houk served
to identify the body and the relatives
were at once notified. The deceased
was a prominent farmer residing on a
farm about eight miles northwest OF
the city. He is survived by q wife
and three children the oldest being
but 10 years of age.
Attended MorreIl Picnic.
The victim of the horrible accident
attended the Morrell picnic at Kinks
vile Thursday in company with
Frank Griffin, who has been in the
employ of the deceased. They be-
came separated at Kirksville and Mr..
Houk returned on the third train,
O'Clock. He was found in one of the
coaches in the yards about 1920
O'Clock, evidently asleep and was told
Nu fhn fr.osv ~ %uos
Nothing more was seen of him until
his body was found beside the track
on the bridge.
Details of Accident Unknown.
Just how the frightful accident oc-
Cured is unknown. 1t is presumed,
however, that the man returned to
the train after he had been ordered
to leave by the trainmen and that he
was aboard when the cars were be-
ing switched across the Wabash
bridge to return to Moberly, the divis-
when he discovered that he was be-
ing taken back across the bridge he
went out to the car platform and eth
err tried to jump off or was thrown be-
tween the cars.
Head Could Not be Found.
When the police investigated they
found that the track for several rail
lengths was covered with blood, it
being evident that the body was drag
ged some distance. The clothing was
torn and the body was mass of
bruises from humping along the rails
Search for the head was fruitless and
it is thought it fell between the ties
and sank in the river. SEEMING par.
ties were at work today but the head
was not discovered.
The Surviving Relatives.
The deceased was the son of Lieu.
tenant Houk, who died several years
ago, his mother, Mrs. Chloe Shields,
yet surviving. He was born in 1871
and was married several years ago to
Miss Bessie Jordan. His wife and
three children survive-Ethel, aged 1(
years; Agnes, aged S, and David, aged
year Two sisters, Mrs. J. w. Nc
Carly of this city, and Mrs. L. NJ WI
son, who resides three miles north OF
the city; a brother, F. S.
Houk, of Chillicothe; half brother, c.
S. Shields, and sister, Miss Sadie
Shields, also survive. The two latter
reside with the mother, six miles west
of the city. The deceased owned an
eighty acre farm eight miles northwest
of the city and north of Chillicothe. He
was respected by all who knew him
and has scores of friends who will
mourn with the bereaved family over