Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-05-29
BEN r. STEWARD PLUNGES TO.
DEATH WHILE DUMPING
CARCASS INTO STREAM.
DRAGGED IN BY PART OF
ANIMAL HE WAS DUMPING
Hampered by Crippled Leg and Iron
Brace on IL, Steward Fought tho
Swift Current For a While, Then
Sank-James l. O'Bryan, Who Was
With Steward, Witnessed Drowning.

| s-
While in the act of heaving quarter
| Of a carcass of a horse over the railing
of the North Third avenue bridge OF
the Iowa river about o'clock Friday
| night, Ben F. Steward, a stock buyer
living at 2O7 South First avenue, was
dragged in after the section Of car
cass or fell in and was drowned. Such
are facts as told today by James L.
O'Bryon aged IS, 107 South First ave-
nue., who was with Steward.
When Chief |. T. Kirby, of the fire
department, the police and officers ar
rived at the scene Friday evening,
O'Bryon told them Steward had
crawied out onto a pier of the bridge
and fallen off.
Il didn't want to tell about throw
ing that horse into the river IN public"
O'Bryon confessed this forenoon in po-
lice headquarters, when asked why he
told a different story of the drowning
last night than he did today.
Stewards body has not been re-
covered.
Accident Is Unexplained.
The activity of the police in attempt
ing to learn who left a skinned carcass
of a horse in Eighteenth avenue, near
, the Linn creek bridge, the police be-
lieve was responsible for young
O'Bryon and Steward setting out with
a team and wagon to haul the carcass
away. Young O'Bryon admitted this
forenoon that he and Steward were en-
gagged in that task when Steward was
drowned. But O'Bryon could not say
Just how Steward came to be dragged
over three-foot railing and into the
swollen current that was running
swiftly ten or fifteen feet below.
Think Hoof Caught Coat.
O'Bryon said he and Steward started
with the carcass for the Plumb farm,
across the river on the East Main
street road, but that they could not get
| thru on Main street on account or the
water, so they started around by the
Third avenue road. When they got on
the bridge they decided to dump the
carcass, which they had cut into pieces,
into the river.
Steward said it would take us all
night" O'Bryon said to get to PLUMB S
farm and back.
| O'Bryon was sure Steward was
I standing on the floor Of the bridge and
not on the railing or in the wagon.
/ O'Bryon was holding the team, which
! he had driven close up to the railing
on the east side of the bridge. about
! ten feet south of the north pier.
| O'Bryon said Steward was heavins
over hind leg and the quarter at
tached to it. O'Bryon illustrated how
Steward took hold of the lower leg,
and twisted it out of the wagon and
over the rail. O'Bryon thought the
hoof must have caught under Stew
ards arm pit, and most Of the quarter,
which weighed about 20 pounds, be-
ing over the rail, the leverage lifted
Steward and dragged him over the rail
after it.
Fought Current For Awhile.
Steward swan and fought against
the current for a time, and managed
to keep his head up. He could swim.
but was handicapped with a crippled
leg and an iron brace on it that must
have borne him down.
Throw the chain." O'Bryon said
Steward yelled.
In the wagon was an eighteen-foot
binder chain. OBryon said he threw
it out toward Steward several times.
but it's weight sank it at once and
Steward could not reach it. The cur
rent bore him down stream farther and
farther O'Bryon could not remember
whether Steward sank twice or three
times.
He just seemed to be kind BLOWN
water O'Bryon described the drown
ing mans last moments.
Soon Give Up Search.
O'Bryon said he ran to the Hawkins
home and turned in the alarm. O'Bryon
was on the bridge when the police pa
| troll arrived. The searchers found
blood and fragments of flesh on the
| railing where the carcass had been
pitched over. 1t was pier near there
! that O'Bryon pointed to as the one
from which Steward had tumbled.
The current was running rapidly.
The searchers continued work until
o'clock then gave up for the night.
Where Steward fell in the water is
from fifteen to twenty feet deep. The
search was taken up again early this
forenoon, but was soon given up as
useless because of the flood stage of
the river.
Was Native Of County.
Mr.. Steward was born on a farm
near this city May 6, 1870. He never
married, and has spent all his life in
! this county. Besides his parents MI
and Mrs. Abraham Steward, 2O7 South
First avenue, he is survived by one
sister, Mrs. Frank Norman, Of Denver
Colo. Mrs. Norman is the only chile
left Of family of eleven, three boys
and eight girls.
|
DIES MONIES VETERAN DEAD.