The Democrat-sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1906-1935, 1909-05-27
johnson Trimmer Killed.
tstronghurst Graphic I

railruad accidents occurred here
ast Friday afternoon aud mother
fc has been sacrificed. johnson
Trimmer, II pioneer resident of the
county, was the victim. Mr..
Trimmer was leaving home about
O'Clock IN the afternoon to- cut
some wood in Ell Forts timber.
lie was walking down the railroad
tracks in the west part of town
and was overtoken by No. 33, IA
freight train from the east, and at
the same time No. 81, another
freight, WAS approaching from the
wott The westbound train pass.
ed him all right, hut it appeared
that he did not take notice of the
train coming from the west. Ap.
pnrtutly he discovered all at once
that he was going to he caught be
tween two long freight trains and
when the engine of No. 81 was
only II rod or two away he under
took to cross over the rails in
front of it. He was struck by the
pilot and knocked distance of
about fifteen feet to- the outside of
the grade. The train was not run
ming very fast at the time and was
soon brought to stop.
The men employed on the Santa
Fe's new tank were only few rods
away and they and the train crew
made a hasty examination and
found Mr.. Trimmer was dead
News of the fatality soon spread
about town and crowd assembled. {.
AS soon as authority could be se-
cured from the coroner the body
was removed to the Trimmer home
only n few rods away. Coroner
Kaufman arrived here from
Oquawka late in the evening and
Conductor Thomas Dunn and en-.
tire crew of Train No. 81 returned
on No. 5 at midnight to attend the
inquest. The testimony all went
to show that Mr.. Trimmer had not
nuticcd that he was about to be
caught between two trains until
the engine of the eastbound train
was almost to him. Suddenly he
seized his hat and pulling it
down on his head with both hands
undertook to cross over in front of
the approaching train. Although
the testimony showed that the
train was not running fast, Mr.
Trimmer had miscalculated its
speed and was struck before he
could get across the track The
jury empaneled was composed of
e. G. ReValley, Emmet Milli
ken, NJ. + Boardsley, l.. Nj. Taw-
son, Ed Parish and r. Il. McDill,
With NJ. E. Beardsley as foreman.
After hearing the testimony of
the members of the train crew and
also the testimony of two of the
men on the tank gang, relative to
the speed of the train, the jury re-
turned a verdict that deceased
had come to his death by being
struck by the engine of Train No.
81, while attempting to crcss the
track in front of 1T on Friday, May
7, 1909 and that the employees Ct
the railway company were not in
any way responsible for the death
The wheels did not pass over
the body and it was not mangled,
death resulting from shock.
Johnson Trimmer was born in
Warren c,cnty, n. !, Feb. 5,
1888 died May T, 1909. Aged
rs years, months and 3 days.
In his childhood he went with his
parents to Ohio and resided there
until he set out in the world for
himself. Short periods were spent
in Iowa and Wisconsin before 10.
eating in Illinois. March Is, 1854,
ne married Miss Marietta West
fall, and they purchased farm
one and one fourth miles north Of
Hooper. Three children were
born to them, only one of whom,
their son Wesley, survives. The
deceased children are Mrs. Mary
Ann Hurd and Mrs Charity Smith
(The deceased in the above arti-
Gle was brother of our townsman,
Henry Trimmer.