The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1920-11-25

the time the accident occurred and that
the car was not discernible at a great
distance. Underberg stated, however,
that they saw the car just before the
crash and that it seemed as if Schwartz
had leaned over to shift gears while
on the crossing. The conductor was Of
the opinion that Schwartz had heard
the bell ringing but was not aware at
the time he attempted to make the
crossing that the car was as near as
it really was.
Bell Was Working.
The electric train was in charge of
Underberg, who lives in Milwaukee,
and was operated by Conductor J. Sor-
enson, also Of Milwaukee. Both the
men are firmly convinced that the bell
at the crossing was ringing at the
time. Their statement was borne out
q few minutes later when two other
electric trains passed and the pendu-
lum with the red light began 70 oscil-
late and the bell to ring. The only
explanation of how it occurred was
that it was in dense fog and that
Schwartz did not know just how near
the train was to the crossing when he
attempted to cross.
Body Taken to Hansen's.
Chief of Police Owen O'Hare was at
the scene of the accident shortly after
it occurred and directed that the body
be taken to the Hansen undertaking
parlors. There it was found that the
skull was fractured. From the great
clots of blood visible on the ties at
the scene of the accident, the body
must have been dragged for at least
thirty yards.
Side Curtains Not Up.
For a while it was the conjecture of
persons who had been attracted to the
scene of the accident that Schwartz
had not seen the train because his side
curtains were found scattered along
the track. A spectator who had helped
Schwartz to wash the car yesterday
stated however that at the time he had
helped to wash the car yesterday the
side curtains were not up. This is
borne out by the fact that the side
curtains were found separately from
the rest Of the car. If the side cur
tains had been up, they would still
have been attached to some part Of the
car by their clasps. Pieces of the au-
tomobile were scattered all along the
track and everything from oil cups to
the motormeter were collected and put
together by the deputies sent out by
the police department.
Schackmuth Heard Crash.
Joseph Schackmuth, who lives at the
first house west of the scene of the
accident on the south side Of the road,
stated to a News representative that
he was just going from the house to
the barn to do some Of his morning
chores when he heard a crash from the
direction of the North Shore line. He
was unable to see anything on account
of the dense fog but that he ran to
the scene of the accident and was
among the first to arrive. He stated
that Schwartz was dead when he ar
rived and that nothing could have been
done for him.
Born in KenOsha County.
Mr.. Schwartz was a son Of the late
Peter Schwartz, one of the earliest
residents of the town of Brighton. He
was born in Brighton on June 26, 1882
and he had spent most of his life in
Kenosha county. Beside his widow, he
is survived by two brothers, Chief of
the Fire Department John Schwartz of
Kenosha and Joseph Schwartz of Port
land, Oregon, and by four sisters, Mrs.
Maggie Blosick of Portland, Mrs. Leo
Letting of Silverlake, Mrs. Kate Voight
of British Columbia and Mrs. Susan
Hensel of Kenosha.
The deceased was a prominent and
successful carpenter contractor.
The funeral will probably be held
from the German Lutheran Church on
Tuesday afternoon, but more definite
announcement will be made on Mon
day. Mrs, Schwartz, the widow, has
been an invalid for some time and the
shock of her husbands death was a
hard blow to her.
Had Not Qualified for Office.
Mr.. Schwartz had not qualified for
the office to which he was elected at
the recent election and the question Of
filling the vacancy caused by his death
will be taken up after the funeral is
held. A reading of the state statute
would indicate that the vacancy caused
by the unfortunate accident can be
filled by an appointment by the judge
of the circuit court.