The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1904-06-08
STRUCK BY FAST MAIL
]. w. Cochran Instantly Killed.
Sunday Morning by Train.
BODY is HURLED FIFTY FEET
Stepped From One Track to Allow
One Train to Pass and Placed Him
self in Path of the Other.

One of the most horrible and at the
same time one of the saddest accidents
ever experienced by the people of this
community was that of the killing Of
Wess Cochran early Sunday morning by
the fast mail on the Northwestern road
Wess had started fishing and was walk
ing along the tracks toward the west
AS he reached the bridge just west of
the depot freight train came in from
the west over the east bound track.
He stepped over to the south track to
allow the freight to pass and while
watching 1T was struck by the flyer.
Whethor he realized the awful destruc-
tion which was bearing down upon him
will never be known, but at any rate
he did not see the fast approaching
train until it was too late. When
struck be was standing about the mic
die of the bridge and from that cosi.
tion was hurled a distance of fifty feet
or more to the west bank of the river.
The train was brought to stop as
soon as possible and was backed up to
the scene of the accident. The body
was found in a horribly mangled con-
dition, and was picked up just over
the railing of the bridge and lying two
feet from the waters edge, while the
right sleg was found on the abutment
twelve feet above. The neck was brok-
en- and hardly sound bone was left il
his body.
The train crew reported the accident
and before long big crowd of people
had gathered at the scene. AS soon as
the authorities were notified the re-
mains were taken to the city hall, but
all day long people passed back and
forth to visit the scene of the accident;
for there still remains evidences of the
awful destruction which had been
wrought. The body in its awful flight
had been hurled against the railing of
the bridge, and large pieces of timber
were broken away.
Monday.morning the inquest was held
at the city hall. the engir eer and fire.
man coming down from their homes at
Boone The jury returned a verdict
entirely exonerating the railroad COM
uany from any blame for the accident.
Engineer John G. Sparks said the
train was twenty-eight minutes late
and was going at the rate of about So
miles an hour. He first saw the man
when the engine was even With the
west end of the depot platform and he
Immediately applied the air brakes and
emergency brake. reversed the engine,
and blew the dagger signal The train
was not brought to a stop until it had
gone distance of half a mile.
Fireman Alexander Boyd saw the
man at the same time the engineer did
He was standing just outside the south
rail and when he was struck his body
was hurled against the railing of the
bridge and slid along on top until it
reached the west end when it fell over
into the river bed.
The funeral services were held from
the city hall Monday afternoon; Rev j.
H. Sharpe officiating
John Wesley Cochran was born in the
state of Pennsylvania in the year 1919.
He came to Iowa in 1871, and since that
time he has lived in Denison working at
the blacksmith trade. In 1875 he was
uni ed in marriage to Katy O'Neil to
which union were born seven children
five of whom, two boys and three girls,
survive. He was known by nearly
everybody in Denison and surrounding
country All regret the sad manner of
his death. but regret more that he
should have been taken away when he
evidently had many more years of this
life before him. He is also survived by
five brothers two of whom, E T. and
VIM, live in Denison, The others are
Robert in California, Murry in Nevada,
and Charles in Arizona.
MARRIED.