The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-04-19
In a Short Time
After
IA Dreadful Accident
Near the Lake.
ROY BROOKS
Attempted to Board
Moving Freight
And Falling Beneath the Train
Is Horribly Crushed and
Mangied.

While attempting to catch q coal car
ON Big Four freight train No 96. east
bound. at Silver Lake park Thursday
afternoon at about o. clock. Roy Irwin
Brooks, aged 10. son of Mr. and Mrs
Robert Brooks, of east Auburn ave-
nue. was thrown under the iron
wheels and expired at the vity hospital
Thursday evening at about T:15 o clock
from the terrible injuries sustained.
Roy Brooks since September last has
been employed as night ticket agent at
the local Big Four depot. Thursday
afternoon there was ball game played
at Silver Lake park between the Belle.
fontaine and Sidney base ball teams
Roy. who had an Inclination for sports
of all kinds. he being . member of the
High School basket ball team. went to
the park to see the game.
Wishing to return home early and
~ quickly as possible in order to get
supper before going ON duty at in the
evening. he at the Big Four platform
at the park attempted to board q flying
freight train and in the attempt was
tossed under the car wheels.
Reports of the actual manner In
which the young man was injured are
conflicting.
A local switch engine had been sent
to Gretns to aid the freight to make
the hill leading into the city. The
train was drawn bv two locomotives.
The number OF the freight engine
was 7b5 and the engineer was John
Myers-
The car that the young man attempt
ed to catch was what is called Condo
La, filed with coal II was the
twelfth car from the engine.
Edward McDilda. employed In q
picture gallery at Sidney. Ohio. was
ON the train enroute TO this city. he
was the first man 70 reach the unfor-
tunate lad after the accident and wit
messed the terrible occurrence. The ac-
count in his own words follows:
1.-THE train was going at pretty
good clip when Brooks attempted to
get on. He was standing on tine Big
Four platform at the lake. he made
one attempt to catch q car and failed.
Then he again grasped at the iron bars
on the coal car. A button hole in his
coat was caught on a screw. Wheth-
er this Disconnected him or not don't
know but he failed to grasp the bars
and his body was dragged to the
rails.
'"rhe curbing at that platform is
about twelve inches higher than the
track grade Between the curb and
the tracks it looked to me like he was
being whirled around like q foot ball
The body would appear to be under
the tracks and then again was bounced
against the curb and the poor boy look.
ed like q bunch of red waste as the
rushing train dashed him about help
lessly.
81 signalled to the rear brakeman.
but the engineer was looking back.
He saw the accident and the cars wers
stopped
81 was the first to reach Mr. Brooks
He was lying across the track and wal
not conscious. He was placed in the
caboose and taken to town. thought
that consciousness returned to hin
while enroute to this city as he fee
bly, attempted to ascertain the extent o.
injuries inflicted in his head.
McDilda was almost prcstratet
by witnessing the accident. He cam'
to this city ON business
Roy was taken to the Office Of DR.. j
II. Wilson. Big Four surgeon. soutl
Main street. He was not in. Doctor
J. 8. Deemy, A. L. Huston and c. W
Heffner attended the lad who was i'm
medistely taken in Kennedy Brothers
ambulance to the city hospital.
It was found that the iron wheel
had relentlessly accomplished their hor
Irible work. The left arm was cut of q
the shoulder. The left leg was crushe'
from knee to hip. The right leg wa
broken. The right foot was cut Of
Inear the instep. A deep cash was in
fiicted in the head extending bac
from the forehead. 1t is thought. how
ever. that this injury was caused froI
. the body being dashed against th
curbing of the Silver Lake platform
, The face was badly bruised. Sewers
I of the injuries would have been suff
+ cieLt to cause death the physicians SAY
Mr.. and Mrs. Brooks were in Bellecer
ter Thursday and returned at 4 :
= clock. about the time their boy WI
T injured. Mrs. Brooks had been visi
n ing friends at Bellecenter. She WI
urged to remain longer but refused ha'
= ing n premonition Of impending tro1
n bic. When the end came at the hosp
tai last evening death was met hraysl