The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1907-10-10
Well Known Farmer Of Pleasant
Prairie Badly MangIed by a
Train at Ranney
RECALLS CHICAGO SHOOTING
Mayer Had Been at the LANCER Tavern
Until Midnight, and Was on His
Way Home When Train
Struck His Wagon

Joseph A. Mayer, one of the mos
widely known men in Kenosha county
and one of the wealthy farmers of the
town of Pleasant Prairie, met al
awful death just after midnight this
morning at the railway crossing Of
the St. Paul road mile south of the
Ranney station. Mayer, who was
driving a team hitched to a light
spring wagon,swas struck by No. 8, q
fast passenger train on the road
bound for the North and he must have
beer instantly killed. Both of his
legs, both arms and other bones were
broken and his skull fractured. One
of the horses was also killed in the
smash up but the other escaped unin.
jured.
! Coroner Andre was called to Ran
ney at one O'Clock this morning to
take charge Of the remains and they
were removed to the Miller and Cos
grove morgue in this-city and the in
quest will be held on Thursday morn
ing. Coroner Andre did not get any
of the details of the accident. The
train which struck the vehicle in
which Mayer was riding had picked
up the remains and brought them
back to Ranney and the full story of
the tragedy will not be brought out
until the coroner's jury hears the
evidence Thursday.
Mayer, who lives only short dis
lance from the crossing where the kill
ing took place, had been at the Lang
er tavern up to midnight and it is sup
posed that he was on his way home
when he was struck by the train.
The report that Mayer had met
death in this awful manner caused
great excitement in Kenosha where
he was widely known.
The killing of Mayer marks. the
close of career which has been filled
with excitement. Mayer was as yet
a young man but he had crowded into
few years lot of life.
The dead man was son of Anton
and Pauline Al1emeyer and from his
earliest years his life read like ro-
nance. His father and mother died
when he was little boy and when he
was II years of age he was picked up
by William Mayer, wealthy machin-
ist in Milwaukee, and later he was
adopted by Mayer as his son. He
came to this county when boy and
lived with his foster father on the
farm in the town of Pleasant Prairie
until the father died a few years ago
and made him sole heir to his estate,
which was valued at between thirty
and forty thousand dollars.
Ten years ago the dead man got a
great deal Of notoriety on account Of
his shooting Dennis Riley, the brother
of the present chief of the North
western Railway detectives. The
shooting took place near the North
western Railway in Chicago. Mayer
and Riley had quarreled over some
trif1ing question in regard to some
milk cans and the detective followed
Mayer into the street from a saloon.
The quarrel was continued and it is
alleged that Riley attempted to draw
revolver, and Mayer, slipping be-
hind a street car, drew revolver and
shot the detective dead. He was ar
rested and held by the coroner's jury
for the crime, but whenlthe case was
taken up by the grand jury of Cook
county, it held that Mayer had shot
in self defense and discharged him
from custody.
Among his friends the dead man
was intensely popular. He had big
heart and gave largely to the men
who associated with him.
Joseph A. Mayer was born in Mil
waukee Jan. 4, 1866, and was educated
in the schools of Milwaukee. He
learned the carpenters trade and fol-
lowed it for short time land then
came to Kenosha with his father to
live on the farm. Hel was married
June 6, 1893, to Magda1eness Schaufel
and the widow and four children sur
vive him.
The funeral will be heldSfrom st.
Georges church on Saturday.r1orning
at 10 o'clock with interment at st.
James cemetery.
1t was reported this morning that
there was another man in the wagon
with Mayer when the train struck it,
but if this is fact thefpolice of the
city and the deputy sheriffs who ia
vestigated the case for the coroner
have been unable to .findssout his iden-
tity. The train men reported that
Mayer was alone when he was struck
by the train.