Elko independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1915-current, 1915-04-20
KILLED By. LIGHTNING
NEAR TONOPAH

4
by a boldt OF lightning near that
/ place:
THE skies seemed to fall on us
! and out of them came a silver lance"
That is the manner in which Lee J.
| (Brick) Mcintosh describes the bolt
from the heavens which yesterday af-
ternoon struck Frank Charles Roschol-
far dead by his side. The tragedy oc-
CURED about quarter of a mile be-
yond the first summit on the road to
Goldfield. There seemed to have been
a Eremonition on the part of Roschol-
lar, for the last words he said were:
IF we get through with this we're
lucky" Shortly afterwards the black
cloud descended and out of it there
leaped the speare of Joye and sent
his soul to eternity, leaving his body
mutilated by the celestial weapon.
Lightning has played strange
pranks, especially in this desert re-
gion, but never SO wierd and un-
canny, so ineXplicable and tragic has
been its manifestation as that of yes
terday, when it descended upon two
men, sitting shoulder to shoulder,
sparing the one and sending the other
to death in less than the twinkling
OF an eye.
The victim was Frank Charles
Roschollar, ager % years and a ma
tive of Gold Hill, Nevada. For a
number OF years he resided in Tono-
pah. where he was a member of the
paid fire department for some time,
and later engaged in other business,
making his home chiefly in Goldfield
during the past year. His mother,
Mrs. d. c. Ryckman. resides here and
Is prostrated, as is also his aunt,
Miss Georgia Bennett, a teacher in
the public schools. A brother, John,
resides In San Francisco. Mr.. Ros-
chollar was a young man Of exem.
plary habits and his death has caused
not only a shock for its tragic cir
cumstances, but has spread sadness
throughout the community
The deceased was aspiring to learn
the operation of an automobile and
also felt the need of open air life,
go II was the custom of his close
friend, Mr.. Mcintosh, to take him
with him on some of his trips. They
were coming from Goldheld with
load Of meat for the Tonopah and
Goldfeld market and were in the fiat
beyond the first summit, about three
miles from Tonopah, when the storm
clouds approached. The southbound
auto stage from this city passed them
there and they engaged in brief con.
versation, arranging to return to
Goldfeld that evening with a motion
picture machine for the Exchange
theater. Ten minutes after the truck
and auto stage passed each other.
about AIS p. m, Is when the light
ming did its deadly work.
Jake Goodfriend and Tug Donnelley
we're occupants of the stage. They
say that almost Immediately after
they resumed their journey the cloud
fell upon them and a sheet of hail
six inches wide resembling snow fall.
ing from roof feel upon them.
Lightning darted in and out of the
cloud, seeming to descend from the
skies and spring up out of the ground,
while the electric waves seemed to en-
wrap the car.
No one knows exactly what hap.
pened to the motor truck party, for
Mr.. Mcintosh is still dazed from his
terrible experience. His story today
varies in certain details from what
he told Immediately after his return,
for then he was in such mental and
physical condition that he was almost
unbalanced in his mind, one side of
his head seeming benumbed, the of.
fects not wearing of for a number OF
hours, during which time he received
treatment from a physician 'and was
under the close attention OF friends.
a portion OF Mr.. McIntosf's nara.
tive follows: I'VE were climbing the
hill and I was in the low gear. /
think we were about a quarter OF
mile beyond the summit. which is
just beyond the ball park. when the
fast came and everything went dark.
When 1 recovered consciousness the
machine was twenty feet from the
road with the clutch thrown out but
the engine still running. I don't
know how II was thrown. surely
did not do It consciously. 1t is a
center control and / either threw IL
involuntarlly or IL was kicked out Of
place when Frank was thrown from
the seat by the bolt. looked around,
not knowing where was, and then
sew that Franks clothes and the
seat, as well as the canvas cover oyer
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