Missouri Valley times. [volume] (Missouri Valley, Iowa) 1874-1931, 1916-10-05
FATAI AUTO AccIpENT -
At RAILROAD CROSSING.
Mike Barrett Of Logan Killed ~
Sight Of Hundreds.
Ono Dead and Ono Seriously
Injured.

Ono Dead and Ono SERIOUSLY
injured.
A fatal auto accident occurred
this morning at the Sixth street
crossing when Attorney Mike
Barrett of Logan was instantly
killed and Ben Comstock, also of
Logan. was seriously if not fatal
~ hurt. The entire top Of Mr..
Barrett's head was taken off and
death was instantaneous. The
car lies a mass of broken and
twisted steel. The other occu-
pant of the car, R. H. Armstrong.
jumped just as the engine struck
the car and escaped with a few
minor bruises.
Sioux City train No. 9 had
backed in to the station, block
ling the crossing over Sixth
street. While they stood about
a dozen autos had collected wait
ing to get across. AS the train
pulled down over the crossing
the autos started to cross, hut
|Watchman John Kittringhama
saw tho train coming from tho
east and signaled them to stop.
and when they did not stop on his
signal he yelled at them. In the
rush of everyone trying to cross
the tracks his warning was not
needed. Three ears crossed tho
track in front of the coming
train, but the occupants of tho
fourth car seemed to see the dan
ger when too late and appar-
emily slowed up, according to tho
engineer. The engine struck tho
car a little ahead of the rear.
wheel and hurled it about fifty
feet down the track Mr.. Barrett,
who was driving his own car, was
hurled about 100 feet away and
then dragged several feet by the
trucks of the baggage car. The
train was stopped at once. as it
was running slow coming into the
station and the men picked up,
but Mr.. Barrett was dead when
the first one reached him. The
top and back of his head was lit
orally torn off and the body
badly bruised. Mr.. Comstock
was thrown about twenty five
feet and over 10 the side ofstha
right -of-way. He was rushed to
the Heise hospital, where it was
found his scalp was nearly torn
off, three ribs broken and his
knee terribly bruised. Two of
the ribs had punctured the lung
on the left side. Emergency
treatment was administered and
the final outcome will depend on
Mr.. Comstocl's ability to with
stand his terrible injuries. Mr..
Armstron, who was riding in the
front seat, jumped just as the
engine struck the car and es-
capped with few minor bruises.
The train is known as the Car
roll local and is due here at
$3.50. Tt was in charge of En-
gineer Mcmahon and Conductor
Freeman.
The inquest will be held at the s
Hennessey undertaking parlors
THURSDAY at 3 p. m. A number of
eye witnesses have given their
version of the lamentable affair
and all seem to agree in the es-
sential details.
Mr.. Barrett was a member OF
the law firm of Cochran & Bar
srett of Logan and was a man
highly respected and we'll liked
by his large circle of friends. He
was about 45 years of age and
leaves wife and two children
TO mourn his untimely death.
Mr.. Comstock is a prominent
contractor and builder at Logan
and is about 60 years of age The
physicians who have him in
in charge are fearful of the out
come on account of his age. Mr..
Armstrong, who jumped AMI es-
capped serious injury. is a drug
|gist employed in the Wood drug
store at Logan. His escape was
truly miraculous. :.