Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1905-11-25
LIFE CRUSHED
OUT BY CARS.
Ed Tanner, an L, & N. Brake
man, Caught Between
Cars.
ONLY % YEARS OLD.
Lived Only a Few Moments
After Being Re
leased.
ONLY % YEARS OLD.

Ed Tanner, a brakeman and flag
man on the second section of freight
train No.37, southbound, met with a
horrible death about 9 O'Clock Thurs
day morning. Particulars CLEANED
are that, while connecting an air
brake or making a coupling of two
cars the train moved and caught his
body just below the breast between
the two couplings.
1t is difficult to reconcile the state
ments of the engineer, C. B. Warren
and a colored woman, by the name of
Ida Medley, who saw the unfortunate
man killed. The engineer was
seen just after the accident. He said
that he could not tell how the man
happened to meet his death. He was
asked if the young man was making
a coupling, and he said that his train
was on the main track, that he had
not cut his train at First street, and
that he was preparing to back out
and get onto a siding, and that there
was no coupling or uncoupling neces-
sary, and that he knew nothing of
the killing until he was told that his
brakeman was dead.
Bernard Hooe, who is yard master,
was near the point when accident oc-
Cured and knew nothing Of it until
Ida Medley called to him to stop the
train, as there was a man under it.
AS soon as young Hooe understood
what the woman meant he signalled
the engineer to stop, which he did.
The two cars which had the body of
Tanner between their coupling were
then disconnected and the poor VIC
tim was removed.
Those who first got to him say that
the couplings had crushed entirely
through Tanners body below the
breast and his almost lifeless body
was clinging to the coupling, and
that he had been dragged about 40
feet after being caught.
His body was carried into the office
of the Hopkinsville Canning Com
pany, but he breathed only two or
three times afterward. Soon after
a hearse from a local undertaking
establishment arrived and Tanner
was brought into the city and pre-
pared for shipment to Darlington.
Tanner. when quite lad, had a
fancy for railroading, and might be
said to have grown up on the track.
He familiarized himself with all the
signals and details of yard work,
was quick to learn, and step by step
had advanced in his calling until he
was made yard clerk, which position
he held until recently, when he be-
began braking. He was popular
with his fellows, and his ambition
was to be a first-class trainman. His
father died when he was a child.
His mother married again and bore
two children. Her second husband
died about eighteen months ago,
which left her and the two children
dependent on Ed. Her two children
died not long since, and now the
heart-broken childless widow is
alone.
Young Tanner was member of |
the darlington Tribe of Ben Hur.
We have not been able to learn |
whether he carried any insurance on
his life or not. The l.. & N. officials
as soon as they learned of the death |
Of the unfortunate young man as
sumed all funeral expenses, and the
remains, in charge of Mr.. John
Twyman, who has known Tanner for
a number of years, were carried on
the local freight yesterday after
noon to Darlington.