Year: 1870

An Awful Casualty.


On Sunday morning last the COM
munity was startled and Mortified at
the announcement, which quickly
few from house to house, that a man
had been found lying on the railroad
I just west Of town, literally torn to
7 pieces, leaving not the least trace Of
I his cOuntenance, by which ne might
identified. In an Incredibly short
/ space Of time the railroad was throng-
ed with people. and the coroner had
been summoned, q jury impanneled
and the mangled remains removed.
t The scene of the awful casualty had
I been visited by hundreds.


i 1t was soon surmised, ami correctly
as has since transpired, that the body
I was that of Matthew Z. Mitchell, q
B young man about twenty-seven years
old, son of NJ. H. Mitchell, of Lyme
| Township.


From the evidence at the inquest
I it seems that young Mitchell went to
/ the depot little before twelve o'clock
on Saturday night, and inquired Of
/ the telegraph operator and night
watchman about going to NOrwalk.
| be was told that the only way he
could get there that night would be
/ to go to Clyde on a freight train
I which would soon arrive, and at that
place he could get ON the express
/ (which does not stop herel and 90 to
Norwalk. 1t is supposed that he in
| tended to do so, and in tryingto board
/ the freight train while in motion,
/ missed his hold and was caught by
| some part Of the car in such q man
ner as to hold him securely and drag
him along over the track. From the
depot to the place where his body
was found, distance of half a mile,
/ the track and cross ties bore siekening
evidence of his terribie ride. Near the
depot was found the sleeve of his coat
and shirt, and a short distance furth-
er on large and small fragments of
/ his clothing. Then came spots Of
blood and shreds of flesh on the ends
/ of the ties and between the joints of
the railing. At one place his dis
charge from the army was found be-
side the track, and this it was, we
presume, which gave the first clue to
his identify. His knife was also
picked up not far distant. His shoes
were torn from his feet, and were
found at considerable distance from
each other.
As the place where the body fell
! from the train was neared the spots
of blood and flesh grew larger and
more frequent, until finally q most
awful and sickening spectacle met
the eye. At the side of the track lay
all that was left OF the body, man
rrlan 0W1A Tnrr, in, n I,--s l..
About yard distant, between the
rails, in a cattle guard, was one leg
crushed and shapeless, and some eight
rods further on was the skull and great
er part of the head. One arm was
only held to the trunk by asinew, and
the remaining limbs were torn and
laeerated fearfully. The scene Ras
truly awful, and will never be forgot.
ten by those who witnessed it.


The body was first discovered be-
tween seven and eight o'clock, Sun
day morning, by Willie Hilbish, boy
thirteen years old who, in company
with Ephraim LOutenslager, was TAX
ing cows to pasture. The boy was
some distance in advance, and seeing
the bloody mass, at first took it to be
a COW, whi6h he supposed had been
killed by the oars but upon going
nearer the little fellow was horrified
to discover that it was the remains of
man. Very much frightened he ran
back TO LOutenslager and told him
what he had discovered. After visit
ing the spot, and satisfying himself
that the boy was not mistaken Mr.. L.
went to the house of Mr.. John Hill
bish, who returned with him and the
two examined the body and found it
to be still warm.


Word of the disaster was then sent
to ]. X. Richard, Justice of the Peace
whose duty it was to act as coroner,
there being none within ten miles.
Mr.. Richard soon arrived, and after
impanneling a jury, consisting Of
John Hilbish, L, L, Chandler, Josiah
Matz, Jos. zeiber, Samuel SlaiF and
Jos. StTayeF, had the remains gather
ed up and conveyed to town, where
the inquest was held in the Mayors
office,


BefDge the remains were disturbed
the father of the unfortunate young
man, who had been sent for, arrived
and after carefully examining the
body for several minutes, gave a sigh
of relief, and said:


''This is not my son; the hair'is too
dark


He was then asked whether he
would know his sons knife, and re-
piled that he would. The knife was
then shown him, and at the sight of
it his cheek hlanOhed, and in a tone
of anguish that went to the heart of
every one present. he cried


"Oh nly God! that is B1y sons
knife!" and would have fallen to the
earth, had he not been sustained by
those near him.


At the inquest the evidence bore
out the facts above stated and it was
brought out that the young man was
intoxicated when he attempted to get
on the cars.