The Oskaloosa herald., 1907-09-26
JAMES STANTON
KILLED BY TRAIN
BODY BADLY MANGLED UNDER
WHEELS OF FREIGHT CARS.
HIS HOME IS IN EDDYvILLE.
Had Undoubtedly Tried to Board
south-Bound Passenger and Failed
Fell On Tracks Where
Freight Hit Him.

James Stanton, of Eddyville, aged
twenty-five, was instantly killed in the
Iowa Central yards last evening some
time between eightthirty and nine
O'Clock. He had fallen upon the track
and the wheels of several cars had
passed over the body, cutting across
the abdomen and completely severing
the lower from the upper part The
legs and hips were lying on the out
side of the east rail, and the head and
chest on the inside. One hand was
also severed and the arm mashed OFF
at the shoulder. The other arm, while
not crushed, was broken at the shout
der, the collar bone and shoulder
blades were broken and the neck was
broken.
The body was found south Of the
passenger depot, at point sixty-eight
feet south of the First avenue crossing
on the first track west of the main
line. The body had been dragged
through the sand and ashes and the
mangled parts were scattered along
Doth sides of the rail The remains
were picked up from beneath a truck
of coal car, the wheels of which had
passed over the body
Coroner Chas. Foehlnger was sum
moned and was soon at the scene of
the accident. He took charge of the
,ase and of the effects found with the
body. The straw hat worn by the fei-
low furnished the first clue to his
identity, as told below The man had
nothing in his pockets but twenty
cents in cash. No name appeared on
The clothing. nor were any other
means of Identification found
Found BY Tramp.
John Murray, tramp was the iirst
% discover the man. Murray started
south along the main line track 70
ind the caboose on the freight which
was soon to leave for the north. While
walking along the side OF the track
ne stumbled into the mass OF flesh
md bone. He Immediately notified
oystanders in the neighborhood and
the further motion of the cars was
stopped.
Murray was first taken to the
Brooke Hotel for the night, but was
later taken to Jail. When seen this
morning by a Herald man he said.
The south-bound passenger had pull
ed out few minutes before | started
lown the track. | was going down in
the yard to find a caboose. AS walk
ID along l saw something lying be-
side the track, but on account OF the
electric light | could not make out
what it was until I stumbled onto it.
| Immediately notified the people near
oy and assisted in putting the man
N the ambulance. | think the fellow
was trying to hop the passenger on
the other side of the crossing and was
standing in the dark. When he at
tempted to jump the train he was
thrown and stunned, and later run
over by the freight cars
Had Companions.
The deceased had been about the
city during the day with two COM
panions, said to be residents of Eddy
Vile. He was first seen early in the
morning by Joe Fisher, formerly an
officer of the city police force, at the
! Howell saloon on Rock Island avenue.
He and two companions were drink
ing beer and joking among them
selves. They were talking Of the car
| nival at Ottumwa and seemed to have
been there. Fisher thought they were
carnival followers or employees Later
during the day they were seen in sew
eral other places. The deceased and
his companions were at the Turf sa-
loon about the time of the Iowa Cen
trail south-bound passenger is due and
stated that they intended to go out
on that train.
Identified BY Hat.
Shortly after five o'clock the trio en-
tered the Peter Schmitt tailor shop on
South A street and Stanton wanted
the rim sewed on a straw hat. He
wanted to pay five cents for the job
and Mr., Schmitt demurred He then
wanted to do the sewing himself, which
the tailor permitted, furnishing needle
and thread. The rim of the hat had
been torn off about halfway around
the crown. The fellow rudely stitch
ed the rim back to place and was
watched by Mr. Schmitt, who joked
him about his ability as tailor. The
other boys Joined in the fun They
We're talkative and loud and showed
that they had been drinking to some
extent. Mr. Schmitt was called to the
coroner's office following the accident
and identified both the man and the
straw hat The stitching incident fur
lniShed Dositiye nronf
Strange Letter.
When the hat was picked up by the
track side there was part Of letter
showed into the top. When examined
by the coroner the first few sheets OF
I the letter We're missing and no adj
dress could be found. The letter was
(Continued On paya ~