Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-03-07
CROSSING TRAGEDY
Sebastine Hammes Run Down by
Burlington Engine at Nine
teenth Street.
BODY DRAGGED FIFTY FEET
Victim and Female Companion Said
to Have Been Quarreling
at the Time.

oeDaSIlne hamineS. aged 40 years,
who was here from Bonaparte, Iowa.
on n visit, while walking along First
avenue and Nineteenth street in COM
pany with Miss Lou Sibley at 1925
o'clock last evening, was run down by
passenger engine No. 1873 of the Bur-
lington and killed instantly. the
wheels passing over the body just be-
low the stomach ana nearly seyering
both limbs.
The locomotive was in charge of
Engineer j. c. Blanchett. with Fire
man Adam Livingston, and was back
ing to the Twentieth street depot to
hitch onto the northbomd passenger
train. Blanchett and Livingston state
that the bell was ringing from the
time that it left Seventeenth street
and the latter had his hand on the
cord to make doubly sure. as the bell
is operated by air. Hammes' compan-
ion. the only other witness. declares
rhat she did not hear the bell. nor did
she see the red light that was hang
ing on the rear Of the tender. rs she
and her friend were walking east. go
ing in the same direction as the loco
motive, when the accident occurred.
With Woman All Day.
Miss Sibley and Hammes had been
friends for eight years, she testified.
He called on her at her apartments at
1908 Second avenue at 10 O'Clock yes
terday morning, and they remained
there until about in the evening,
when they started for Davenport to
attend Il play. They walked north ON
Sixteenth street to First avenue. in
tending to board street car at Tween
tieth street and Second avenue. She
declared that Hammes had not taken
4 drink while in her company; that
he was not man given to the use of
intuNicants. At Nineteenth street and
First avenue the Burlington tracks
cross the street in northeasterly di-
rectiOn.
Just as IIammeS and the woman
passed the building on the southwest
corner the locomotive bore down on
them. The woman does not know
how she happened to escape. for the
engine was not more than three feet
from her when she first saw IL They
were walking between the rails. but
she was close to the south rail and it
was only necessary for her to take
one step TO escape the wheels.
Livingston saw the couple when the
engine was about three feet from
them and shouted at them to get out
of the way. He would have seen them
in time 10 have averted the tragedy.
probably, but for the shadow thrown
over the tracks by the building ON the
southwest corner.
Hammes was dragged to the middle
of the street. fully forty feet. before
the engine was brought to n standstill,
Blanchett reversing as soon as inform
ed by his fireman that they had struck
someone.
Couple OuarreIfnE.
B!anchett and the fireman jumped
from the engine, finding the body of
Hammes between the drive wheels on
the left side of the locomotive. The
frantic woman was standing nearby. |
and when asked by the engineer if she /
had not heard the bell. gave mega |
tive answer. She told him she and !
lIammes had been quarreling. Miss |
Sibley denied at the inquest that she |
made such 4 statement. She said that |
she said they had been chewing the /
-ag." nod
The police were notified and the 1
body removed to KnoX's undertaking /
rooms. Hammes has wife and two |
but he had been separated 4
rom his family for some time. He 4
lad been stopping with his brother.
Henry Hammes, in Moline. leaving the Il
home of the latter yesterday morning Il
IT 9 o'clock. Deceased was a tailor
md was working at a shop in Bona
1arte. He had $50 in his possession
when killed
No FIagman at Night. II
The inquest was conducted this
morning, the jury, composed of Dr.
:. I. Foster. foreman; William Tile
meyer, =. ii. Wells. Lawrence Kramer,
!. w. Sample and f. y. Smith. finding
hat Hammes came to his death by
being run over by C.. Il. & Q. engine
40. 1873, at or near First avenue and |
street, about 1920 p. m.
iarch 8. and we. the coroner's Jury.
relieve that there should be a flag
nan or gate tender al this point at all
INES" The company maintains a
lagman at this crossing during the
lay only. 1t is one of the most dan
II