Golden Valley chronicle. (Beach, Billings County, N.D.) 1905-1916, 1913-10-03
YOUNG MAN MEETS
A HORRIBLE DEATH
UNDER GAS ENGINE
Fred Nelson Gets Under Wheels of
Big Farm Engine in Unknown Man
ner and His Life Is Crushed Out.

A horrible accident occurred!
last Tuesday evening at about
seven o clock, four miles south of
Beach, on th= State Line road
when Fred Nelson was run over
and killed by the big farm en-
sine owned by w. A. Sprague
and driven by his son, Earl,
while returning home with a grain
wagon train. just how the acci-
dent happened will never be
known.
Tuesday about FIVE o clock Mel
son, who was young man about
~ or % years old. was hired by
Mr.. Sprague to assist his son on
his farm southwest of town. Earl
had brought in train load that
afternoon and the newly engaged
man started home with the young
>er Mr.. Sprague on the engine.
drawing several empty grain
tanks. They had taken their sup
per along with them to eat on the
road. After getting out of town
some distance. Earl left Nelson in
charge of the engine while he
went back into the second tank to
eat, not wishing to stop the train.
When he had finished his meal he
went to the engine and Nelson
went back to eat. This was the
last Earl seen of him until he
picked up his crushed body from
under the train.
1t seems that the young man
went back and ate his supper,
then went around ahead of the
engine, which had, been in mo-
ton all thu time, and in come
manner got under the wheels. The
last Earl saw Of him before the
accident was when he climbed
back into the second wagon to
eat. 1t was some time after his.
when the train was approaching
Dan McNeice's. that Earl noticed
the lights burn up brighter. and
he now thinks Nelson must have
gone ahead and adjusted the
lights, for Immediately following
he felt the engine rock and the big
driver on the left side rise and
fall as though passing over some.
thing. Handling the engine on
the right side and looking to the
left to see what the wheel might
have passed over, he discovered
Nelson's body just coming ou,
from beneath the big driver. H.
was in the cab and had taken a
couple of steps away from the
levers and by the time he threw
the clutch out and the train stop.
ped. Nelson's body was unde,
the front wheels of the second
wagon. He rushed back to the
engine and drew the train ahead
enough to get the wheels off the
PROSTATE man, and when he went
back and laid him out by the side
Of the road he thought the man
was dead, being, naturally under
such circumstances, greatly excit.
ed. 1t was dark, but not far of
he heard threshing machine
still running and there found A. P.
Kukowski with his automobile.
The two returned to the scene oi
the accident and when they ar
rived. Nelson was holding him.
self up on his elbow and crying
for water. They placed the dy-
ing man in the car and started fol
town, but. after they had only
gone a short distance. Mr.. ku.
kowski's car broke-down and
from a nearby house DR.. Smith
was called. Before he arrived the
injured man died. after being tax.
en- from the car and laid on the
ground.
While in the automobile. the
dying man asked to be turned
over so he could spit and little
later, in his dying struggles cried,
God help me" Aside from his
crying for water. this is the only
thing uttered by the man after
being run over, and just how he
got in front of the wheels will
never be known.
lis bright glare Of the head.
Lights made it impossible for the
driver to see anything except the
road ahead. and if a man made
any outcries they were drowned
by the noise Of the engine. 1t is
thought that Nelson. a!e4er eating
his supper, went ahead to adjust
the lights, intending to do this be.
fore climbing back on the engine,
and in some way got his foot un.
Continued on page four)