The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1910-12-21
MAN MANGLED BY ENGINE.
JOHN MINIS, y. &. l.. YARD CAR
INSPECTOR, HAS BOTH LEGS
CUT OFF BY YARD EN-
CINE.
Engine Run by Engineer Divine
Knocks Him Down Mangling Both
Legs-Different Stories of Accident.

Legs-Diferent Stories of Accident.
John j. Minis. white, car inspector
on the A. c. l.. yards, was knocked
down Monday morning about 1925 by
an Atlantic Coast Line yard engine
run by Engineer Sam B. Divine. and
both his legs cut off, one above and
the other below the knee, at the
railroad crossing on Harvin street.
There are different stories told of
how the accident occurred, but the
one generally accepted as correct was
that told by Engineer Divine. He
says that Minis was sitting on the rod
OF another engine just to the right Of
the one he was running and that as
he approached the other engine in
passing Minis got off the other en-
gine and started to cross Just in
front of him. He did not have time
to stop, so blew his whistle just be-
fore the engine struck Minis. He
saw the engine strike Minis and when
Minis fell the last wheel Of the en-
gine passed over his legs before he
could stop. He said that he was run
ming about five or six miles an hour
at the time, not faster.
The same story was told by the
colored porter on the Gibson train,
with the. exception that he would not
say how fast the engine was running.
Mr.. S. R. Huggins and Mr.. 1. J.
Price said that their attention was
attracted by the whistle of the en-
CINE and when they looked they saw
Minis throw up his hands and fall to
one side and the rear wheels Of the
engine passed over him. Both Of
them said that the steps of the en-
gine struck Minis. Higgins, who is
from Dalzelb said that the engine
was going pretty fast, but that he did
not know how fast it was going.
Price said that he did not notice how
fast the epsine was going and the
accident ssA lI.nervSd hin, shat he,
turned the other way and did not stop.
Another tale told by a we'll known
and reliable man is that Divine was
running his engine about fifteen
miles an hour and that he had lust
said something about his running too
fast when the person he was talking
to said my God, look there" or
something to that effect. He looked
and saw Minis, who seemed to be
getting off the steps Of the engine.
fall and the engine ran over him.
dragging the body for some distance.
He at once ran to the station and
telephoned for doctor and sent per-
sons out to find other doctors to bring
aid to the wounded man. He was the
first man to reach Minis and he did
what he could for him as quickly as
possible.
Minis retained his senses until he
was put on a wagon and started off
to the hospital, DR.. Clifton, of Orange
burg, being the first doctor to arrive
on the scene and helped assist the
wounded man on the wagon. Other
doctors arrived just as the wagon
started off and accompanied the man
to the hospital.
Minis bled freely while lying on the
ground, and all the time he was cry
ing out, Lord, look what a fix I'm
in now. Can't some one get a doc
tor. Do for Lords sake someone do
something for me-" At one time he
cried out, Il thought l could pass in
front of that engine" He was deathly
white and seemed to be suffering
agonies from his mangled limbs. One
of the legs was broken all the way
up above the knee while the other
was broken and crushed below the
knee. Handkerchiefs were tied
tightly above the wounds to keep
him from bleeding to death while
doctor was being waited for.
There were great many eye wit
nesses of the occurrence.