Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1905-07-18
KILLED BY TRAIN.


evening at 6:l5 o'clock at the Washing
ton street crossing of the G. q N. w.
Ry. Co.'s tracks, near the city hall,
which resulted in the instant death of
John Gumtz, living at 324 N First Ave.
The man has, for several years, been
employed as an edger at the mill of the
Alexander Stewart Lbr Co. and was in
the habit of going to and from his work
by following the railroad track and
crossing the railroad bridges as short
cut. On the evening and hour men
toned he had reached a point little to
the southwest of the Pabst Brewing
Co.'s old cold storage house, when he
was overtaken and run down by train.
The yard crew was making up train
and nine cars were being run up on the
transfer, east of the river, at the head
of the switch engine. Quite a number
of people were waiting at the crossing
at the time, for the train to pass, but it
appears that only one of these, John
Lerum, saw Gumtz and witnessed the
accident. Mr. Lerum cried out to
Gumtz, warning him of the danger, but
it appears that the man was hard of
hearing, for he did not heedIthe warn
ing. He was struck full in the back
and thrown down over the rail, his
body being outside the track The
passing of the wheels over his body
threw the body back between the rails
and he was dragged along distance
OF fifty feet or more to frog. His foot
caught in the frog and several cars
passed over him before the train was
stopped. Mr. Lerum, by gesticulations,
drew the attention of one of the crew
who was standing on top of one of the
cars, and the latter came down off the
car and looked under the train and
signalled the engineer to stop. Mr..
Lerum and others then ran to where
the man lay and pulled him out fror
the rails. Rollin Pannabaker, who is
employed by the Stewart Lbr. Co,
recognized the man as John Gumtz.
The coroner was notified as was also an
undertaken, and the remains were re-
moved to undertaking rooms.
Mr.. Gumtz had been frightfully
mangled. The right leg was cut off be-
low the knee; the left leg was crushed,
his neck was broken, and his head, face
and body were covered with bruises.
His dinner pail lay near where he was
first struck, at a point on or near the
street line.
Friday morning the coroner en-
paneled the following to serve as jurors:
M G. Ewing, VIM. Baerwald, G.. S.
Cone, Jas. Haskin, j. g. Remfrey and
l.. Lampert. The members of the
switch crew and several other witness
es were examined The testimony of
all witnesses corresponded with ref
erence to the time of the accident and
that no flagman was then stationed at
the crossing. Some of the railroad
employees admitted that the
rules had been violated in
the latter respect, while others pro-
fessed ignorance on that subject. After
retiring and deliberating on the mat.
ter, the jury brought in a verdict in
accordance with above facts with
clause stating that deceased was partial
ly to blame for his own death by being
on the Northwestern Co.'s property at
the time of accident and that the COM
pany was negligent in not having gates
at the crossing and its crew violated
the rules governing it in crossing
streets.
1t would also appear to an observer
that someone else should be censured.
Section of Chapter XXXVII of the
city ordinances provides that the G. &
n. w. Ry. Co. shall erect and maintain
gates at the Washington street crossing
and Section Z of the same chapter pro-
vides that a fine of S25 shall be levied
against said company for each and
every day it shall allow such failure to
provide such gates. If the company
has been notified to place gates at the
crossing, it is to blame in not doing so.
If not then the city is open to criticism
in not enforcing its ordinances.
1t is claimed by some that gates at
that crossing would be nuisance
because there is so much traffic on that
street that the street would be con-
tinually blocked. The crossing is
dangerous one because of so many
buildings screening the approach of a
train from either direction and a flag
man is not always infallible.
Deceased was nearly Sc years of age
and had been a resident of this section
for a great many years. He was twice
married. His first wife died a number
of years ago and he was again married
last April. Besides his wife, three chill
dren survive him.
Gumtz is spoken of by his neighbors
as hard working man who was well
liked by his associates. He was once
engaged in the saw mill business for
himself, but a fire and other reverses
compelled him to work at day labor for
the past several years.