Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1904-07-06
Met 4 TRAGIC DEATH:
switchman John Towey Crushed
Under Car Wheels and Head
is Severed from Body.

r John ToWey, for some time emp!oys d
In tho Great Northern yards in this
city % switchman, me. with an awful
death early last Saturday morning al
Breckenridge. While working IN the
railroads yards there he was run over
by the cars and he was found shortly
aftsrWards with his head completel,
severed from his body.
News Of the terrible affair reached
this city the came morning through q
dispatch sent to Agent May of the
Great Northern. The particulars a.
to the nature of the accident we're lack
Ing, but enough was learned to know
that Mr.. Towey had met an untimely
end in 9 horrible and shocking man.
ner, aud that he lay cold in death
awaiting orders from here regarding
the disposal of the remains.
An inquiry ~ to the Whereabouts
OF the family resulted in the sending
Of message to Minneapolis where
Mrs Towey aud son Raymond have
been making their home with rela-
ttvss while the latter is undergoing
treatment for his hip joint disease.
The wife was apprised OF the sad news
and the message naturally came a. q
great shock to her. The condition OF
her son, who was to have undergone
IN operation the preceding day,
coupled with this sad message which
came almost At the same time, made it
3 double afliction hard to bear. The
fsmily's Minneapolis address was ll0s
Washington street N. E where they
had resided with Mrs. Towey 3 mother
since the first of May. Before the
Breckenridge message came here the
last news received from Minneapolis
was to the effect that Raymond: would
bs operated upon at the hospital the
first of July for the hip joint by q
bone specialist The young son is
eight years old.
Mr.. Towey went to Minneapolis
three weeks ago last Saturday night,
boarding the Flyer at this point. Dur
ing the sbsence of his wife and son he
had = room ct the Carlin residence,
and to the Carlin family he stated up
on leaving that he would be back here
shss@iollowing IN Monday, night; The
news OF his death at Breckenridge was
the arst intimation received here that
ha uaa IN that oitv
Mr.. Towey had taken lay of from
his work in the yards here and rail-
road men understood that he would
return to Willmsr after brief yaca-
tion. 1t seems that he had left Min
nespolis and gone to Breckenridge to
try the work there. The statement is
made that he had been anxious to get
into the train service at Breckenridge.
1t 10 said that the fatal night was his
fret on duty there ss switchman.
Just how Mr.. Towey met bis death
will never be known, - there were no
eye Witnesses to the tragic ending.
His lifeless body vas found by the
switching crew about 4:30 q. M, lying
on the track As the head was severed
from the body death must have been
instantaneous. No other marks of
violence were noticeable except . few
slight scratches in the face. It 10
thought that four cars had passed
over the body. The suppositlon is
that he had just finished the cutting
of OF the cars and that he had fallen
of the switchboard on the engine
which it is customary for q switchman
to ride upon. The switch lantern was
found about 20 feet away.
The remains were taken to an un-
dertsker and prepared for burial. In
: the meantime relatives and friends of
the family made the necessary prepar-
stioas for the shipment OF the body to
Minneapolis for interment, and the
remains passed through Willmar Sun