Seen and heard on the Chicago Transit Authority

Another death at Morse El station

Yet another person met his maker after being hit by a train at the Morse El station on the Red Line. 

The details surrounding this death were not so clear-cut as the earlier case.  NBC-5 TV reported first there were "body parts" found on the tracks around 1:50 a.m. on Monday.  Trains were shut down till about 6:30 a.m. so officials could recover the body of a man in his early 20s. 

Police at the local 24th District told me that the man was walking on the tracks when he was struck by the train. 

Update, Aug. 23: I have heard from family members of the victim, who dispute the police version of events.  They are trying to learn more about what happened.  I wish them well.  And may God rest his soul. 

Comments

Whoever posted this comment is ignorant, thought I don't blame you.  My cousin did not have a death wish, he was not walking along the tracks.  He was found in so many pieces they don't know how he was hit, but there was foul play.  It is still being investegated in many many ways.  The police are ignorant. 

It was exactly one day after his 22nd birthday, the last day I ever got to see him.  Peter Berry was not stupid, was not clumsy.  Hundreds of people attended his wake, and many more will be at his funeral.  I wish everyone in the city could have been there to listen to what people had to say about him.  All of his friends refer to him as King Kiser and as the King of the Northside. 

I understand that to people who had no idea who this beautiful, insightful, prophetic being was, this is just yet another mindless accident.  But to anyone who had ever known him or even simply seen his name on a wall, this case is not closed because such an innocent and purely good person doesn't just disappear for no reason. 

Kiser WAS the red line, he WAS the el.  Next time you're riding it, look around, I guarantee you'll see his name.  He knew the trains blind, better than anyone else in this entire city. 

Peter lived as he died.  He is a person, he is a life, a being, a brother, a son, a cousin, a nephew, a friend, a crew member, a bodyguard, an artist. 

YOU KNOW THE PROBLEM WITH REPORTERS OR THE PEOPLE WHO POST NEGATIVE STORIES OR COMMENTS ON PEOPLE OR TOPICS THAT THEY HAVE NO KNOWLEDGE OF ONLY MAKES THEM LOOK IGNORANT TO THE PERSON WHO POSTED THE ABOVE STORY YOU OBVIOUSLY HAVE NO COMPASSION FOR THE FAMILY OR FRIENDS OF "KING KISER" I KNEW PETER AND FROM THE LITTLE AMOUNT OF TIME I SPENT WITH HIM I GOT TO KNOW A REAL DOWN TO EARTH BROTHER THAT WOULD BE THE FIRST ONE TO BACK YOU UP AND THE LAST ONE TO LEAVE...TO PETES COUSIN "KISERLIVES"MY HEART TRULY DOES GO OUT TO YOU AND THE FAMMO FOR YOUR LOSS..I HAVE EXPIERIENCED QUITE A FEW LOSSES AS WELL...REP ONE TCK RIP,JME DCS RIP,MY BROTHER BOBBY RIP.  SO I CAN SYMPATHIZE WITH YOU ON YOUR LOSS...TO THE WRITER OF THE ABOVE MENTIONED STORY ..YOU REALLY NEED TO GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT..ANY TRUE CHICAGO GRAFFITI ARTIST WHO HAS HAD EXPIERIENCE ON THE CTA TRAIN TRACKS HAS KNOWLEDGE OF HOW THE CTA WORKS...PETE DIDNT HAVE A DEATH WISH ...
I JUST WISH THAT THERE WAS A CLEARER STORY AS TO HOW PETE WAS STRUCK BY THE CTA TRAIN...I CAN HOWEVER ASSURE YOU OF ONE THING..THE CTA IS GOING TO EXPERIENCE MORE KISER TAGS WITHIN THE UPCOMING WEEKS THAN THEY HAVE EVER SEEN...SO IF YOU HAVE ANY CONNECTS DOWN AT MERCHANDISE MART I WOULD SUYGGEST YOU TELL THEM STUFFED SHIRT WEARING OVERPAID EXECS TO HAVE THERE FUCKING PAINTERS ON STAND BY BBECAUSE OURS ARE ALREADY AT WORK.....

***AS AN ARTIST TO ANOTHER ARTIST......I WANT THE ARTIST KISER TO REST IN ETERNAL PEACE.  AND I WILL PUT UP SOME KISER TAGS IN A COUPLE OF WEEKS....WE MOURN OUR FALLEN SOLDIERS......WE DO NOT PAY FOR AD SPACE AT THE TRIBUNE OR SUN TIMES......WE PLACE OUR FREE ADS ON THE CTA......SO FUCK THE CTA........THE AD SPACE IS FREE......I WRITE AS I PLEASE........HAVE FUN CLEANING MY CREATIVE MATERIAL
........yours truly, SPIDER MAN......DAN

1.  To the cousin and friends above: my sympathies.  22 is WAY too young--by anyone's standards.  Particularly when you lose someone whose artistic sensibilities you admire, it really sucks.  I'll be checking the Red/Purple lines for Kiser tags over the next few weeks--I only half-pay attention when I'm riding, but stuff like this reminds me: there are PEOPLE behind all those words. 

2.  Which brings me to another point--and I'm more guilty of it than most: The anonymity of writing a blog post or comment--even under a real name--can lead us to phrase things in ways that might be viewed as insensitive--and even more so when the individual we're writing about is someone who's been mentioned on the news but not given a name.  It would be harder, I think, to write detachedly about "Peter" than about "some guy who got killed"--you know what I mean? ( Anyone who wants to jump from here into a "screw the media" rant is welcome--I'd join in, but I'm at work and can't write much longer.)  My point: I don't think any offense was meant--but thanks for reminding me, at least, that every "unidentified victim" has a family and friends. 

3.  Again to the above commenters: I hope you find out what really happened--it sounds as though there are lots of unanswered questions. 

--Gladys (who would be a tagger if she was a) about 12 years younger and b) not scared to death of heights)

I think you're right about how easy it is for us bloggers to write detachedly about people and events we are not closely tied to.  I apologize for any offense my original post may have caused.  And hopefully I have edited it enough to delete any offensive comments. 

THANK YOU FOR EDITING YOUR ORIGINAL STORY..ALOT OF PEOPLE WOUYLD NOT HAVE ..THEY WOULD HAVE STUCK TO THEIR ORIGINAL STORY AND CLAIMED IT TO BE BECAUSE OF JOURNALISTIC REASONS...

"I think you're right about how easy it is for us bloggers to write detachedly about people and events we are not closely tied to.  I apologize for any offense my original post may have caused.  And I hopefully I have edited it enough to delete any offensive comments." 

KING KISER LIVES....
ONE LOVE. 
Now that I got that off my chest,
DO you people really think that a young 22 year old man was walking the tracks and got hit??? 
:Besides the people who know him:
No matter how slow, smart, dumb, drunk, or whatever the case is, you DON"T JUST GET HIT BY A TRAIN !!!!! 
A LARGE, NOISY, TRACK VIBRATING,
{BWOOP{BWOOP-HORN BLOWING, V-I-S-I-B-L-E, TRAINNNN!! 
Don't you people comprehend by the title, ANOTHER DEATH at the MORSE el STATION, that there were some foul play going on..
Im sure the streets will talk a lot faster than those damn police who will rule it "accidental", because some stupid ass kid was walking the tracks...
How one sided feeble minds are, As for the people who did know Peter, at least we know that's not the whole story. 
MABEY IF HE WAS THE SON OF A POLICE OFFICER WE WOULD HAVE ANSWERS!!!! 

To the family and friends: I feel for your loss, I really do.  But lashing out at people who talk about this person's death is not going to make you feel better.  This posting was very carefully accurate, based on reports from the news and the police.  I'm not sure what more you expect from people. " I'm so sorry this human being is dead, even though I know nothing about him.  I'm sure he was an amazing person."  Would *that* appease you?  No, I didn't think so.  Because nothing can at this difficult time. 

Seek help for your grief.  Misdirecting it will only hurt even more people. 

To "me" and other readers: Just to be clear, in the original posting, I wrote that perhaps the deceased had a "death wish." 

Once I learned that the family was disputing the cause of death (ie.,  walking on the track), I removed the "death wish" comment from the original post.  I'm certain that's what "Kiser's" friends and family were objecting to originally. 

I didn't know Kiser, but maybe my own past experiences have given me a different perspective on happenings like this.  I don't know. 

What I DO know, though, is that the Eric Zorn commentary (linked above) really pissed me off, to a degree that I felt like I just had to respond somehow.  So this is not me plugging my blog--this is me responding to what I view as an unwarranted attack on someone who didn't deserve it and who can't respond for himself. 

YO I JUSS WANTED TO LEAVE MY MARK ON HERE !!  BIG KISE YOU WERE A FUNNY AZZ WHYTE BOI DAWG !!  I WAS JUSS CHILLIN WIT YOU N YOUR B-DAY AT CLUB ALTRABOS YOU CAME BY TO SHOW US LUV , I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO HAVE THAT DAY COME BACK SO DAT WAY THINGS COULD OF BEEN CHANGED.......PETE MAN YOU WAS LIKE MY BIG BROTHA !!! 

Peter was my man!!!!!  TO those who knew him they knew that he was a person with a good heart and an even better hand!!!  I am a writer ("tagger") myself and i really feel that we should not overplay that he was a writer.  There are many writers that have died through the years in this cold city, just recently a cat from MUL cru (Made U Look), and he actually was painting at the time of his death.  I feel that we should imbrase that for all of his adult life he was doing something that he loved,and to me, that is a better headline then any paper has printed or stated ever!!!  We should be so lucky to find something to love as much as Peter Barry did.  He found life in a time where so many of us fall short and that is what he should be remembered as...A PERSON THAT ACTUALLY FELT TRUE LOVE.  Lets stop talking about throwing those RIP KISER's up and lets start doin them!!!!!! 
REST IN POWER KISER
REST IN PEACE PETER BARRY!!!!!!! 
YOU WILL BE MISSED!!!!! 
PEACE FROM ALL THE CMS-TFP FAM!!!! 

I used to live kitty corner to the morse stop.  Like, my windows were facing morse on the south side , 2nd floor, Rogers Park Artspace.  Anyhow, the trains stop at the stop....they dont just zoom by.  He must have been hit a ways down the tracks from the stop, and which side was it?  and I know there are surveilance videos of what goes down on the platform.  This should be solved, because writers rarely get killed by freak accident....
So I also want to say Im sad to hear kise passed away.  live in philly now, but have some good memories. 
Didnt know him, just his tag which is all the fuck over.  made my ass jealous. 
peace
zach

VERY SAD TO HEAR THIS...AS I SIT HERE SEARCHING FOR A CAB MEMBER WHO HAS BEEN A HUGE INSPIRATION TO ME , THE ONLY ARTICLES I'M SEEING ARE THESE...I DIDN'T KNOW "KISER" (R.I.P.), BUT A COOL M*F*R I ONLY KNEW AS "JOHN". I DON'T/DIDN'T KNOW HIM VERY WELL BUT WE SPENT SOME TIME IN "GATEWAY". NOT A DAY GOES BY THAT I DON'T THINK OF HIM , SHIT , I HAVE A PIECE TATTED ON MY LEG (K.P.) THAT HE DREW UP FOR ME, HE PROBABLY DON'T REMEMBER.HE'LL PROBABLY NEVER KNOW THIS, BUT HE HAS INFLUENCED ALOT OF MY ART/+ (LOL).I STILL LOOK @ PIC. 'S THAT HE DREW FOR ME THAT I SENT HOME TO MY FRIENDS.....I'VE NEVER SEEN SOMEONE COMPARE TO HIS ARTISTIC ABILITIES.HE IS THE REASON I ASPIRE TO ACHIEVE , AND FOR ANYONE TO DISRESPECT SOMEONE WHO RAN WITH HIM , F* OFF ! ...  JOHN IF YOU'RE HEARIN' THIS, HOLLA BACK AT'CHA BOY .SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YER' GUY MAN...

1.  Was he hit or dis-membered? 
2.  Did he know the Sunday train schedule? 
3.  Was he someone who I would want my child to look up to? 
(I have already answered this one..)
4.  What was the King's cause? 
5.  Did the King die a martyr? 
6.  Did he write his epitaph in his own blood? 

Maybe this was the King's Swan song! 
He will never be forgotten by any! 

If you are going to deface property whether it be public or private, you are breaking the law.  I don't care what type of stupid justification you might have for it, plain and simple it is illegal.  While his death is tragic, he knew he was breaking the law.  The reason you aren't supposed to go on the train tracks is because you could either be hit or touch the third rail.  If he was really that talented, he should have done used it for something good, not something illegal. 

If I were a bank robber and shot while I doing a job, then I would have got what was coming, If I were a smoker and died of lung cancer, then I would have got what was coming.  I never said it wasn't tragic or sad, but it came with the nature of his occupation. 

R.I.P KISER
JUST WANTED TO PAY MY LAST RESPECTS TO MY FELLOW FALLEN ARTIST.  WENT TO HIGH SCHOOL TOGETHER AND JUST REMEMBER HAVING YEARBOOK CLASS 3RD PERIOD IN 1999.  YOUR ART, LIKE YOURSELF WILL NEVER DIE.  IT EVEN LIVES ON OUR 1999 YEARBOOK ISSUE WERE WE GOT YOUR ART PUBLISHED.REMEMBER?  AND LIKE THIS YEARBOOK, U 2 WILL GO DOWN IN HISTORY. 
ONCE UPON A TIME....
OUR TIME, IN 1999.  ST.  GREGORY HIGH SCHOOL VOLUME 59

I didnt know kiser at all really, but we did go to the same grade school, and im sad to hear that he passed away.  He seems like a really nice guy and was loved by many.  I just wish i had the chance to meet him. 

although i never knew Kiser, i do go to the same school as he did, an i see his shit all over the place.  he was a great man.  he deserves the respect that he gets from everyone.  for all you ignorant reporters and "tattlers" shut the fuck up.  he died doing what he lived for.  if you got electrucuted typing on your computer, you would of died what love(?)  doing.  so just shut the fuck up. 

YOU STUPID FUCKS I REMEMBER ONE TIME WHEN THIS FAGGOT ALEX GARCIA AND KISERS DUMBFUCKIN ASS ALMOST GOT RUN OVER BY THE RED LINE DOWN BY 95TH WHEN THEY GOT IN TO FIGHT WITH THEESE NIGGERS I TOLD THEM NOT TO DO THAT SHIT ANY MORE AND THEY DIDDNT LISTEN......NOW LOOK WHAT HAPPENS 1 OF YOU HARD HEADED LAME ASS MOTHER FUCKERS DIED HOPE SOME OF YOU LEARN A LESSON...RIP

yes, i feel terrible that we lost someone in the act of defacing private property with some horrible, indistinguishable "art".  who climbs on the tracks to do this?  and, better yet, who thinks it actually looks good?  it's awful! 

YO, WAS THAT KISER'S BOYS WHO TAGGED THE CLOSED MONTROSE AND ADDISON STATIONS A COUPLE WEEKS AGO?  THAT SHIT WAS AWESOME.  NOTHIN LIKE SOME SPRAYPAINTED CARTOON BLOCK LETTERS ON AN ABANDONED EL STATION TO SHOW OFF WHAT YOU'RE ALL ABOUT.  THAT WAS YOUR SOUL, MAN.  I REALLY FELT THOSE INDECIPHERABLE MESSAGES DEEP DOWN INSIDE.  NOT TO MENTION ALL THAT AWESOME TAGGING YOU GUYS HAVE DONE ON ALL THE RANDOM BUILDINGS ALONG THE EL TRACKS THAT NO DOUBT CAUSE THE OWNERS AND TENANTS TO STAND IN AWE OF THE FACT THAT YOU PERSONALLY CHOSE THEIR BUILDINGS TO PAINT GIANT UNREADABLE LETTERS ON.  THE STATEMENTS YOU'RE MAKING ARE BIGGER THAN I CAN POSSIBLY FATHOM. 

I see tributes to kiser everywhere and what I truly see is art and a way to express it....To have such talent....and be gone my heart swells with admiration when I see it and breaks to know that he his gone

Obviously this nut ball had psychiatric issues otherwise why was he walking along the L tracks?  Come on people, at some point you just have to give it up....some people have mental problems and are probably DOOMED! 

Uh, I thought being a TAGGER was a CRIME!!!  So now you're glorifying a tagger who was not supposed to be defacing property with graffiti?  I dont get it.  And isn't it a bit dangerous to be walking along the tracks where you could get electrocuted? 

.......just paying my respects to a very powerful figure in the graffiti communitti, weather you knew it or not you changed our thinking process in the survival for legacy... much respect and love....
KING KISER LIVES

I will always remember his smile and his tags on the bus... he was quite popular amongst us girls (Lilah, Melissa & Me)For some reason things never worked out between us in 98 but I will never forget u Peter I think about u to this day... RIP and we will see eachother again one day...

Peter barry was murdered on the morse stop.  It happened.  He was a very smart person and would not have heard a train comming. Morse was the last place i saw him alive in 2004.His only weakness and most likely the reason he died is he didnt know when to back down from things or people. I can say with almost utter and total comfidence that someone tryed to rob him or mess with him, most likely more than one person and he didnt back down or try to run away and get out of that situation.that was a deadly decision.i can only hope he was knocked uncontious before the train struck him. He was a good person and anyone that can listen to this situation and in the end say "tagger got what he desurved" needs to look at there own life and what is truely important.peole or your precious property.........rebel..the brother from anouther mother.....

above^^^met to say he would have heard a train comming...yeah tagging is a crime but should we not investigate his murder because of past life choices...if this country was the way you wanted it, id move to canada...

"Uh, I thought being a TAGGER was a CRIME!!!  So now you're glorifying a tagger who was not supposed to be defacing property with graffiti?  I dont get it.  And isn't it a bit dangerous to be walking along the tracks where you could get electrocuted?" 

First off, please learn the English language and use propper spelling and grammar if you will be attempting to post negative comments.  Second, "tagging" was not all Peter Berry did in his life.  In case you did not know him, which I am sure you did not, he held down several jobs and took care of his family while doing what he loved.  If you read any piece of literature, crime and punishment are completely different from life and death.  The death of a human being is the death of a human being, regardless what made that human being who/what he was.  You do not simply weigh the value of somebody's life based on his actions.  All men are created equal, or so they say.  How would you like somebody who does not even know you to sit in the comfort of their home blogging negative comments about you after you are no longer able to reply?  Shame on you, and your parents for not teaching you any positive social skills. 

Rest In Power Kiser....
You did this an entire generation before me, and I can honestly say you have inspired me in so many ways. 

By the way, did the police bother to interview any CTA workers that were at the station that night?  How about the train conductor?  Or perhaps anybody on the platform that witnessed the event?  What are the details on this "so-well-investigated" police report? 

my name is code im in the crew kizer was in and not only am i fellow crew member i am a dear friend i dont know anything about what the reporter reported nor do i care because no story comment or anything else at all could ever bring pete back what i would like to to say about pete is that he was a very kind friend months before he past i had no where to stay and pete let me stay at his house which i appreciate more then i probrably understand its just crazy how a person like him could just die in such a way it still bothers me almost six years later i regret that when he passed i was locked up and didnt get a chance to pay my final respect to pete but i will continue to keep him in my memories i know for sure without a doubt he didnt commit any thing similar to suicide he had everything going for him he work at the general store at a college near by his home he was attending the art institude and was showing a promising future in the field not to mention he was in the army reserves a great friend son brother and faimly member some one with so many goals and a promising future i doubt would commit sucide i dont even like using the word well who ever reads this i hope kizer keeps a warm place in your heart and dont ever forget him i know hes in heaven shining down sometimes i wonder if im selfish because i want him here with us but hes probably in heaven living the perfect life where were waiting to go to so ill see u when i get there my nigga