The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1905-04-14
UNKNOWN WHITE MAN
STRUCK BY THE LEWIS
BURG TRAIN.
NO MARKS OF IDENTIFICATION.
Was En- Route To Decatur
In Search Of Work And
Had Been Here
Several Hours.

An unknown white man was struck
by incoming passenger train No. 141
of the LewisbuIg branch ut 4:3C
O'Clock, Monday afternoon and In
stantly killed. The accident occurred
beyond the Cemetery avenue crossing.
where the Lewis6urg and Decatur
tracks run parallel and make a sharp
curve. The train was coming toward
Columbia at the regular speed.
When Engineer William Lynch saw
the man, his engine was within a few
feet of him and coming down grade.
The failure of the engineer to see him
sooner, was Occasloned by the sharp
turn in the track at this place. He
claimed that he blew his whistle sew
eral times and also slowed up his tram
as much as possible in such a short
space. The man was walking on the
end of the Cross ties on the right side
of the track and was coming towards
town. Engine No. 81 was pulling the
train and the bumper struck the IN
fortunate man about the middle of the
back. according to the engineer s
statement, and threw him forward.
The cowcatcher then struck his head at
the back. splitting the top of his skull
and causing instant death.
Conductor W. j. Mcknight. EnBi
neer Lynch and Fireman James Lem
ing were the only men on the train
who saw the man before he was
struck. The train was stopped and
the body placed in the baggage car and
brought to town.
There was nothing on the dead
mans person to identify him, other
than small, well-woIn memorandum
hook with few almost illegible lines
written obliquely across it's soiled
pages. The words "a McClaln Houey,
No. 2,01O, my boarding place. Take
Indora and Columbia car and get off at
18th street. HarGeman and Miss
-" could be made out with diff
Guilty. The lady's name was com
pletely obliteIated. Each one appeared
to be an address and there was nothing
to lead one to believe his name APP
peared there at all. The man appears
to be about 30 years old, is about 8
feet II inches tail. curly brown hair.
Roman nose, good features, with no
signs of dissipation. He IS clean
shaven and, at the time he was killed,
wore blue oveIalls over grey pants and
had on grey coat. He wore a new
crush hat, which was picked up and
brought IN with the body. He was
seen by two boys few hours before
he met his death sitting on an en-
hankment snort distance from the
place of the accident and engaged IN
conversation with them. When asked
where he was going, he replied that
he was on his way to Decatur, where I
he expected to get some work to 10.
little change and measuring rule
were found on HIM, the latter indicat-
ing thai his calling might have been
that of carpenter.
There are several theories as to the
cause of the accident. One is that the
man looked back and saw the ap-
train. but thought it was
on the other track and that the engine
was merely blowing for the station:
Another is that the man was out OF
work and tired of life and took this
means of ending his life.
LATER-The unfortunate man
proves to be John Vickers and his home
is in Nashville The account of his
death IN Tuesdays American was
read by his wife and she telephoned
out here giving a minute description
lf his appearance, his clothing and
she articles in his pocket. 1 he body
Was shipped to Nashville on the
+. in txo;r T,.oodov affarnonn