Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1906-03-16
Former Bohemian Farmer of
Ferguson Victim OF South
Omaha Street Car Collision
BODY HAS BEEN IDENTIFIED
Thought at First That Dead Man Was
One James Ratioan, of Fl. WORTH,
Tex, Eut Omaha Man Identified the
Victim as koskuba-Had Been En-
ployed at Armour 6 Co. Plant

an Undertaken at South Omaha, Neb
this morning, at the office of b. r.
Cummings, announces the death OF
| joe Koskuba, for many years well
known Bohemian farmer living near
| Ferguson, which occurred in u street
car collision at South Omaha on Tues
day. Koskuba was not identified until
| Wednesday afternoon. In the collts-
ion several We're injured, but Koskuba
was the only one instantly killed. Three
other men are fatally injured, and
| Miss t'reda Hoffman, a girl 10 years
OF age. in the employ OF the Bemis
Bag Company. died Wednesday as the
result OF her injuries.
| In the letter received at Mr.. Cum
ming's office the undertaken says that
on kosku'pa's person was letter
written by Mr.. Cummings to a Kansas
City lawyer. Koskuba was not iden-
| titled until Wednesday, as 1t was believ-
ed, prior to that time, that he was one
| James Ratican, OF TT. Worth, Texas.
This belief was held because of the
name being found on Koskuba's per-
son. A Bohemian friend of Koskuba,
however, identified the dead man. Mr.,
Koskuba's family was informed Of
Koskuba's death by telephone by Mr..
G. A. Mote this morning.
An Omaha Account.
The Omaha Bee of Thursday con-
tains the following account of the
identification of Koskuba: Identified
ton of Joseph Koskuba, 1917 Pacific
street, Omaha, as the man instantly
killed in the street car wreck on South
Thirteenth street Tuesday morning,
and the death Of Miss Freda Hoffman
at South Omaha hospital, are the lat
est developments in the tragic ctrcum-
stances of that Inflated affair.
"Koskuba was identified by John
Tuna, who now lives at I'LL South
Thirteenth street, who stated he and
Koskuba lived together at the Prague
Hotel. that he had known the man
since January, and that he worked for
the Cudahy Packing Company. While
the name Of Koskuba did not appear on
the Cudahy pay roll, 1t was explained
that names were frequently supplied
for the men. Mr.. Tuna said he did
much writing for Koskuba, who could
neither read or write. Tuna said the
dead mans trunk would bear out his
identification and statements
..,rhe identity of Koskuba was verb
fed yesterday afternoon by the lnVes-
legations of G. FL. Brewer and the cor
oner. His possessions We're found al
his room Among them he mad letters
from which it is learned the unfortu-
nate. man had family living at Fer
guson. Marshall county, Iowa. Ihere
are at least two daughters, Mary ana
Josephine, There are two sons mem
toned in the correspondence and his
wife. but their names are not mem
toned. 1t appears that the family re-
|lations of Joseph Koskuba have not
been pleasant and that he separated
from his family prior to 1908. He Went
from there to Kansas City and from
his correspondence he had been INDUS
trious. He had decided his etghty-acre
farm to his wife at Ferguson prior 10
leaving the place. He had deed to
some city property in Oklahoma City.
He was Bohemian by birth, though
he came to America from Austria. He
came to Omaha about January and
has since been employed as car re-
pairer at Armour & Co.'S. This ac-
counts for the fact that his name was
not found on the lists Of the Cudahy
Packing Company"
Tragic End Of Sensational Career.
Koskuba's death Is a tragic end of
sensational career. Koskuba was an
honest sort of Bohemian farmer in
dustrious, and accumulated property by
his own hard work. He had one bad
habit, and that was a tendency toward
strong drink. He got into trouble sew
eral years ago, which brought him into
court, and in the summer of 1902 fig
ured in shooting scrape, in which he
fired a shot gun at William Brand, a
neighbor, who was employing a young
son of Koskuba. The trial came off at
the fall term of court, and came near
ending abruptly by Koskuba swallow
ing poison in the court room. His life
was saved by the prompt work of a
physician, and the trial was finished.
Koskuba was given a light sentence,
fine of 500 and thirty days in Jail, on
Nov. 20, 1902.
What arrangements the family will
make regarding the disposition of the
body are not as yet known.
CARROLL is PLEASED.