The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1904-03-10
j. B. ADKINS Is KILLED
Prominent and Popular Davis City
City Instantly Killed by Being
Thrown From His Buggy

uulUWu IUuI llIS Duyyy
The citizens of Davis City were start
led Monday morning when the word was
phoned in from the home of Robert
Francey, who lives five miles southwest
of Davis City, that j. B. Adkins, one of
the best known citizens of that part of
the county was lying in the road near
his house dead. Quite a number from
Davis City drove at once to the scene
and the report proved only too true.
The story of the terrible accident,
which was witnessed by no one, is not a
long one. Sunday morning, Mr.. Adkins,
who owns several fine farms, hitched up
his team of ponies to his buggy and left
his home in Davis City for the purpose
of going to one of his farms just across
the line in Missouri to meet Jesse Wish
ong and sell him some corn. Before
leaving home he remarked to his family
that he had not felt so we'll for a long
time and was feeling in fine spirits. 1t
appeared from the evidence before the
coroner's jury that after driving to the
farm and transacting his business he
had driven to Andover, where he re-
manned until evening, and then drove to
the home of his sister, Mrs. Thomas
Rains, who lives about five and half
miles southwest of Davis City. He ar
rived at the house about seven o'clock
and hitched his team, but would not put
the team up. The evidence showed he
had been drinking. After eating his
supper he remained at the house until
ten minutes before twelve when he
started home, refusing to remain all
night, although the family urged him to
remain until morning. When he left the
house he whipped up his horses and was
driving pretty reckless. Near the resi-
dence of Robert Francey, half mile
east of the Rains home, there is quite a
little hill in the road, and evidently
while going down this hill either the
neck yoke broke or the tugs came down,
letting the buggy tongue fall, as the
marks where the tongue fell could be
plainly seen in the road, as it had run
deep in the ground and broken a short
piece off Of the end, the tongue running.
into the ground and just at the foot Of
the hill the tongue ran into the tgronnd
and turned the buggy over. The buggy
fell right side up, the tongue being bent
back under the bed, and Mr.. Adkins was
thrown out. He was a very large man,
weighing 265 pounds, and must have
struck the ground with great force, fall
ing on his face, the physicians who ex-
amined him stating that the fall had
ruptured a blood vessel in his brain and
he was killed instantly. The position
of the body when found indicated that
he had never moved after striking the
ground. The team had gotten loose
from the buggy and were found the
next morning at the home of Joe Hagan,
mile and quarter northeast of the
scene of the accident.
The body was discovered about 8
O'clock Monday morning by Floyd Fran
cey, the fourteen year old son of Robert
Francey, who was watering some stock
near the place and noticed the wrecked
buggy with mans foot sticking out
from under it, He was naturally fright
ened and ran at once to the house and
told his father, who went down and saw
that it was Mr.. Adkins, ard 'rcm APP
pearances he was dead. He did not
touch the bodyibut went at once and
phoned to Thomas Rains brother-in-
law Of Mr.. Adkins who lived half mile
west, and also notified other neighbors.
When Mr.. Rains arrived he found Mr..
Adkins lying on his face under the
buggy, and upon examination it was
found that he was dead, his body being
cold. He turned the dead man over on
his back, on quilt taken from the
buggy and later the body was removed
to Mr.. Adkins home in Davis City.
Coroner Fred A. Bowman was notified
and went to Davis City on the noon
train and held an inquest, the coroners
jury being composed of L. A. Brown, w
L. Severe and J. N. Gates. The evil
dence of the various witnesses examin-
ed all went to show that the accident
occurred as narrated above, there being
no evidence of any.foul play, Mr.. Ad.
kins' watch, pocket book containing SIS
and other valuables being found intact
on his person, and at the conclusion Of
the evidence the jury returned the fol
lowing verdict:
State of Iowa,
Decatur County.
At an inquest held at Davis City, il
said county, on the 7th day of March
1904, before Fred A. Bowman, coroner
Of said Decatur county, Iowa, upon the
body of James B. Adkins, there lying
dead, by the jurors whose names ar,
hereto subscribed.