Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1913-12-02
|OTTUMWAN HURT;
FRIEND IS KILLED
DAN COTTREL INJURED BY
STEPPING OFF BRIDGE AND
FALLING TWENTY FEET.
DROPS FROM TRAIN
Companion Getting Off Car In Dark
Falls Upon Rocks and Later
Succumbs to Injuries
Received.
DROPS FROM TRAIN

Dan Cottrell of 215 Ellis avenue was
injured near Washington Saturday
morning when he stepped off the edge
of a railroad bridge and fell some
twenty feet being rendered unconsci-
Gus and painfully but not seriously
hurt. A companion named John klrk
of Kansas City, Mo, who is thought to
have fallen from the top Of car at
the same time, died later. brother
of Mr.. Cottrel Immediately planned to
go to Washington upon bearing OF the
accident.
Dan Cottrell resided with his father
in South Ottumwa until month ago
when he left on a trip and his family
were unaware Of his injury until ap-
prised this morning by a reporter or
The Courier. The following account
of the accident to Kirk and Cottrell
appears in the Saturday issue OF the
Washington, Iowa, Evening Journal.
John Kirk, of Kansas City, man
who has been working in a stone
quarry at Buffalo, Iowa, for several
months and was on his way to WASH
ington to secure work in surfacing
gang on the Rock Island, died in box
car about $50 this morning, just as
the Milwaukee train on which he was
riding pulled into the Washington
yards. He died as the result of inter-
nal injuries sustained in a fall OF
twenty-five feet from the approach to
the Iowa river bridge at Gladwin.
Kirk and three companions, William
Mahan of Boston, Lee Ortiz Of Mill
Grove, Mo-, and Dan Cottrell of o.
tumwa. were riding In an empty
freight car. and when the train stopped
at Gladwin, on the approach to the
bridge, they thought the stop was for
Washington, and climbed out of the
car. According to the story told by
the other men Kirk climbed over the
car, intending to disembark on the
other side of the train, and must have
fallen from the top Of the car onto
pile of rock below the bridge.
Mahan heard his groans and he and
! Orth borrowed lantern from the
trainmen and went in search of their
| injured companion. They found him
lying bleeding and grooming on the
rocks and assisted him back into the
car He was in much pain and con-
inually cried for water Ortiz did not
get back into the car and Mahan was
with the injured man until the train ar
rived here. They had no light and
Mahan could do nothing to ease Kirk S
suffering. The accident happened at
four O'Clock, and soon after the train
I stopped at the coal chute at $50 Kirk
body became inert. and it was found
when the train stopped near the sta
ton that he was dead.
| The body was taken to the Miller
morgue, where it was cared for and
Kinks mother, who lives at 4437
Norledge street, Kansas City, was sent
word of the death Of her son. Death
was due to internal injuries and
shock. The man had severe bruise
near the heart and sustained other
! decorations and bruises. He was a
young man about thirty years of age.
He had on his person several letters
| from his mother, which established
his identity beyond question. He was
unknown to the other three men, who
had become associated with him only
Friday. He had letters received at
Buffalo dated last August.
Cottrell, one Of the four men, did
not return to the car after the men
left It at Gladwin and the others do
not know what became Of him. He
did not alight from the train here and
lit is thought possible that he too, may
have fallen from the bridge and been
injured as no sound was heard from
/ him after he left the car Coroner Hay
and Sheriff McCarty are making a
search for him. No action Will
be taken regarding the disposal of the
body until some word is heard from
Kinks mother.
! CottreIl Was In iured.
| Coroner Hay received a telephone
message from Gladwin at about noon
to the effect that Cottrell, the fourth
man who was in the box car and had
been missing ever since the train
stopped at Giadwin, had appeared at
the pumping station near the river,
telling a story to the effect that he
had gotten out of the car at the same
time Kirk did, supposing the stop was
for Washington, and had stepped off
the edge Of the bridge, falling about
twenty-five feet and being rendered
unconscious by the fall.
He had revived shortly before day
light and after resting while had
imade his way to the pumping station
where he told his story and received
assistance. His injuries were not seri-
Gus but he was very stiff and sore
after lying in the dampness for several
hours. He had bruises on his back
and hips and some minor cuts. He was
able to walk and was brought to Wash
lington on the local freight. arriving
here at 100 in the afternoon, He was
unable to shed any additional light on
the accident which befel Kirk.
When he fell Cottrell must have
struck the ground within a rod or
two or Kirk. but Mahan and Ortiz saw
nothing of him when they searched for
Kirk and as he made no sound they
did not know at the time that he had
fallen. although Ortiz was mystifled
hy the fact that he did not reappear,
since the two had been almost in
Iseparable companions for several
months. It was very dark where the
1.-TWO men fell, with the fog very much
lin evidence and thf trainman's Ian
tern was of little help.
Miss Freda Bluhm has returned to