Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1916-01-06
IS SENT TO CRAVE
WITHOUT A NAME
vvstery Envelopes Identity of Unfortu.
nate Ground to Death On Rails
Last Week.
Rad BEEN SEEN By SIGNAL MAN
walking Tracks Hall An Hour Before
He is Struck-Yictim Not Be-
lieved Hobo.
FAD BEEN SEEN By SIGNAL MAN

Nvstery-the most unsolvable one in
Scott county for many years-sur-
rounds the identity of the victim of
The accident on the Rock Island rail-
road. quarter of mile west of Far
nam and three and one-half miles
west Of Davenport last Friday fore
noon.
After the inquest had been held
Tuesday night the coroner had made
little or no progress in his efforts at
Identification. A few rays of light, hith-
erto dimmed. were shed upon the mys-
terv at the inQuisition Tuesday night
Int these were not sufficient to lead
10 the identity of the man found.
It was learned at the inquest that
the man was struck west of the little
station known as Farnam about 100
A. m. last Friday, and not near the
Locust street bridge as had at first
been reported. Oscar ". Olson, signal
maintainer for the railroad at cutoff,
another small station three miles be-
vond Farnum, was the most important
witness so far as the means of iden-
tifcation were concerned. Olson saw
the dead man half an hour before he
was struck and ground beneath the
wheels OF the Rocky Mountain Limited.
Il was d my station and saw a man
walking the tracks said Olson He
was walking on the south track at the
edge OF the outer rail. noticed that he
wore a hunting coat, blue overaIls.
blue cap and pair OF high over
shoes
Didn't Carry Gun.
Did he carry a gum" he was asked
no. that was what struck me-" OIL
son said. He was dressed in the
clothes OF hunter, but he didn't carry
a gun. | see so many men walking
along the tracks that | do not usually
pay much attention TO them but this
fellow | noticed because he did not
carry gun and was dressed like a
hunter"
Olson said he saw from the signal
boards that the Rocky Mountain lin
tied had stopped beyond his station.
He supposed there had been an ac-
cident and jumped onto his handcar
and went down, En- route to the spot
where the train had stopped, at the
Farnam station, he saw the evidences
Of the accident and found pieces of
the mans body stTewn along the
tracks.
Il found his coat and cap" said Oh
son, and | thought right away about
the man l had seen, He was about
six feet tall. | should say and was
about % or 26 years OF age. l did not
get good look at his face but judged
him to be that age
William Wiese. an embalmer en-
plOyed in the 0. G. Hill undertaking
place, disagreed with Olson as to age,
however. He said he judged the man
10 be about 40 years of age. But Wiese
had only the teeth OF one side to 60
by, for the body was cut up so fright
fully that the features Of the face
were entirely missing and the head
was ground and the trunk and the
arms and legs cut up. Wiese said it
was indicated from the skull that the
man had short black hair.
Not Seen On Tracks.
Neither the engineer, William B
MOnsiey, nor the fireman, Harry W
Frey, both of Rock Island, saw the
man walking the tracks. 1t is pre-
sumed that he stepped on the right-of
way in crossing and did not see MOI
hear the train because he had his CAP
down over his ears and face.
II was indicated by the condition OF
the tracks that the stranger was
struck near the whistle post. one-quar-
Ter Of a mile west of Farnam. The
train was stopped half a mile beyond
this point.
Il heard something under the en-
CINE, as if the ash pan had dropped,
said the fireman. Il called my en-.
gineer's attention 10 II and we stop
ped. We went around the engine anC
found a coat and blood stains on the
wheels and under the engine. l wen
back the track and Olson picked
sp the body and put it on his handcar
! did not see anyone walking the
tracks"
The train had whistled about the
time il had struck him. evidently JUS