The diamond drill. (Crystal Falls, Iron County, Mich.) 1887-1996, 1910-01-15
URBAN CHAlLANcIN DIED WHILE ON
HIS WAY TO BALsAM
MISSED TRAIN AND WALKED
Wife Lett Alone al Farm With II Head Of
Cattle and Small Children for
Two Days.

Henry Oberdorfer. roadmaster Of the
Peninsula division. while standing in
the rear end Of the Amasa passenger
train near Balsam noticed a man lying
in the snow OF to the side of the track.
He reported the fact to the authorities
at Amasa and they telepnoned n
Sheriff Holmes who In turn notified
Coroner Dawson. Otto Dahms OF Bal
sam was on the train and was inform
ed OF what Mr.. Oberdorfer had seen.
On the return trip the train was stop
ped and it was found that the man was
dead. Mr.. Dahms accompanied the
train crew TO the scene and indentifed
the man as Urban Challancin. an Ital-
ian farmer whose farm is about one
mile east OF Balsam.
Coroner Dawson impaneled jury OF
Amasa men and ordered them to drive
down from Amasa and meet him
there. He secured Fred MCGEE TO
write down testimony and together
they drove to Balsam and met the
Jurors
The corpse Las about three-quarters
OF mile south OF the Balsam station at
place where there is big ill The
unfortunate man evidently got down
off the track and couldn't get back on
the track again. The snow was all
tramped down around the body and
the marks on the bank showed that he
had made desperate efforts 10 get hack
on the track.
The remains after being viewed.
I were taken TO Balsam and put In the
coroner's rig for conveyance to this
city.
The only witness examined was Mr..
Dahms. He lives on the Conlin farm
at Balsam and saw Challaucin when
he went 10 Crystal Falls Thursday
night. The dead man stopped At
Dahm place to wait for the train. A
bag with some provisions were put off
the North Western train the following
day and taken In charge by Mr.. Dahms
|
there knew of the fate Of the man.
II seems that ChaIlancin came 10
Crystal Falls to get provisions tor his
family. He is farmer and resided
on the old Muehl farm with his wife
and two small children. He has twelve
COWS and no one was about the pre-
misses TO care for the stock excepting
the woman
He got to Crystal Falls and did his
trading. intending to 20 up on the
North Western train. but that train
was running on very bum schedule
last week and he missed the train.
He then decided to walk home and
left his bag OF provisions at the depot
with instructions to forward IL the
next day. The day was bitter cold
one. Cnallancin drank several glasses
Of beer and ate q oap OF beans before
be started ont. In addition. be dyank
some wine and pQkSp bottle of wine
along with -rrmt Sis evfsent that
the man was either opercoqe wsh the
wine or tnnrheswas stakerv violently III
on the way as the tracks In the snow
indicate sAmhch.
i In the meantime the wife remained
on the farm attending TO the stock. ig-
norant of the fact that her husband
layAess than two miles away. IN the
snow dead.
The first intiination she had of the
horrible affair was when Mr., Dahms
sent man over 10 take care of her
stock for her.
The remains were buried In the Local
cemetery. the funeral taking place from
the Catholic church Monday morning.
The deceased was hardworkine
man and was we'll liked by his neigh.
bors He was getting on nicely in mis-
farming venture when death interrupt
ed his work.