The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1910-01-15
JOY RIDE
FATAL TO
GARY MAN
John Mcdonald, While TAX
ing Sleigh Ride, Is Hurled
Into Eternity When We
hicle Is Struck by Fast
Michigan Central Freight.

Following a joy ride in a rented |
cutter yesterday afternoon, with a
woman of questionable character, John
Mcdonald. 80 years old, was hurled into
eternity when his vehicle was struck
at the Madison street crossing of the
Michigan Central by a fast freight.
west bound His companion in the
cutter at that time, c. Williams, was
only slightly injured and is today nerv
ously conversing with his friends about
| the details of the tragedy.
1t Is teIieved that the accident was
due primarily to the fact that the
noise of the warning bell at the cross
| ing was drowned entirely by the sound
of the sleigh bells of the cutter.
| Cutter. on Track.
The cutter was squarely upon the
track when the fas special freight
crashed into them, hurting Williams
far to one side and dragging the body
of Mcdonald over a hundred yards
down the track. leaving pieces of his
| mangled form scattered about the
track for the entire distance. Finally
what was left of the body, part of
the head and part of the shoulders
were cast aside in the bloodstained
snow a considerable distance from the
crossing.
Chief of Police Marian stated that
the train went through the city about
I7:15 last night and was travelling, as
near as he could ascertain about thir-
ty or forty miles hour. The en-
gineer had seen the emminent danger in
which the rig was placed and threw on
the brakes, but the heavy string OF
cars were brought to stop only after
about sixteen of them had passed the
scene of the accident
Williams Escaped.
The escape of Williams with almost
minor bruises about his scalp and
body is most miraculous Tt happened
that he was bounced off to the side o.
the track from the soft cushions o,
the seat, while the unfortunate Nc
9 Donald was thrown directly in from
! of the great engine Williams was s,
> intensely excited FOLLOWING his marrow
1escape that upon gaining his feet Il.
;. made wild scramble to get away from
the scene. He was detained only 70,
a few seconds by the conductor Of tn,
: train. during which he gave his nam
as Williams and stated that he did no
| know his companion. From this cley
. the police were able to locate him a
: 1880 Washington street. where h.
boarded with his wife. He is an EN-
ploye of the Indiana Steel company
Recognized BY Features.
= 1t seemed when the mangled roman
of the body were found that 1t woul
be impossible to identity the victim
but Captain Gus Neuman of the polio
force, managed to hold enough of hi
face together so that a friend recog
nized the features. Mcdonald was a.
/, employee OF the Illinois improvement
u | n DoI Ct 49,
various times had been employed as
teamster for T. j. Gormley. the loca
liveryman. His relatives are suppose
to live in some part of Michigan an
+ he is believed to be a single man.
The cutter was broken into kindlin
wood and the valuable horse wa
killed and thrown to the right of til
road. Blood stained pieces of kindlin
wood were found scattered along tn
track almost as far as the remains c
the man. The horse and rig wer
r, valued at $500 by the owner, T.
n Gormley-
Mr.. Gormley stated that the rig wa
rented during the afternoon from on
of his employees by a woman, who
n was afterward discovered is an inmat
In the place conducted by Frank Bong
on Madison street The woman an
Mcdonald were known to have bee
very intimate. At various times durin
the afternoon Mcdonald and the woma
~ were seen hilariously driving up an
- down the street When and where sh
,s left the cutter is not known. but 1t
, believed that Mcdonald was bound fo
ID her establishment when he was kille
r There is reason to believe that the
had been drinking during the after
noon and this is thought to have cor
tributed to the accident. Williams ws
- picked up by Mcdonald who profere
him lift on his way home.