Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1914-01-22
OTIS WENSEL, MEMBER OF WELL.
KNOWN LOGAN FAMILY, IN
STANTLY KILLED.
WATCHES ONE TRAIN
AND HIT By ANOTHER
WenssI Thrown Fifty Feet by the
Force Of the Blow, Sustaining Broken
Back, Neck, and less-Oavid Nelson,
Companion, Has Close caIl-coroner
Investigates.

! Failing to see the fast train that was
| bearing down upon him. because he
! was watching another train passing
over a viaduct, Otis Wensel. aged 23
member of a we'll known old family OF
! Logan township, was killed instantly
at Melbourne Wednesday night at $50
David Nelson, Wensers companion, had
most narrow escape from a similar
fate.
Wensel and Nelson have been work
; ing for Jacob D. Waltemeyer, just east
Of the corporation limits, during the
, latter's sale, and after they had finished
taking the tracks of the Chicago, Mil
waukee & St Paul railroad for better
walking
Fail to See or Hear Train.
The attention of the young men was
attracted to a Chicago Great Western
! train on the overhead crossing near
them, and neither saw or heard the
, approach of the fast west bound train
No. 70. on the Milwaukee. Nelson did
happen to glance up just as the loco
motive was almost upon him and his
companion.
Ny God, Otis" was Nelson's ex-
clamation, as ne jumped to one side
and grabbed at the coat of his COM
panion. Just as he made the reach for
him the pilot beam struck Wensel
squarely. hurting him fifty feet. The
train was running forty-five minutes
late and was going at high speed.
Crew Unaware Of Accident.
The engine crew was unaware that
any accident had happened until the
train reached Collins. AS soon as the
accident happened Nelson ran to the
depot, and notified Agent c. c. Call
kins. Calkins called Rhodes. In an
effort to tell the conductor Of the train
Of the accident, but the train had al
ready passed Rhodes. The news was
then sent on to Collins, Nelson says
that the engine headlight was very
dim. and thinks that the lack Of suffi-
cient' light was partially responsible
for the accident and for the engine
crew not seeing either of the men.
Body FrishtfulIy Multiiated.
| Wenzers body was frightfully mutt
| lated. and was picked up at point
ten or twenve feet distant from the
/ tracks on the north side of the right
of-way. The young mans back and
neck were broken, the right leg was
fractured in three places. and the left
! in two The back of the skull was
crushed. Men from Melbourne carried
the body to the town hall. where it was
+! prepared for burial, after which 1t was
removed to the room OF Charles
| Schneider a friend of Wenzel. Today
| the body was taken to the home OF
Wensels parents, Mr. and Mrs. George
w. Wensel, three miles southeast OF
Melbourne.
WenseI Well Known.
! Mr.. wensel was we'll known in Mel
bourne and It's vicinity. where he has
among the widely known people OF
Logan township, his father being a son
Of w. L. NJ. Wensel Of this city. Mrs
| T. J. Shoemaker, of this city, Is ar
aunt Of the young man. a sister of his
| father
In addition to his parents Mr.. Wensel
is survived by three brothers and one
sister. They are Edward W. Wensel, OF
Bows, and Percy and Roy. of Mel
bourne; and Mrs Nora Pierce, OF
Waterbury, Neb. Hattie. an older sis
ter, died Of diphtheria when the family
nine years ago.
Coroner Investigates.
Coroner F. H. Boucher was notified
of the tragedy and went to Melbourne
| this forenoon to investigate the cir
| cumstances Of the death.
Coroner Boucher decided an inquest