Democratic Sentinel, Volume 9, Number 5, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 February 1885 — Frozen to Death. [ARTICLE]

Frozen to Death.

It has been but a few days since we were called upon to rec rd tbe circutr. stances of the death of J- M. Roudebnsh by freezing, near Otterbein, thia county and now we come to fell our readers of the frightful and untimely death of i Stephen Farrel, deputy sheriff, of Ben ; ton county and brother-in law of Sheriff Scanlon. On last Thursday Mr Farrell took some paper, and started out to subpoena some witne-ses in tbe neighborhood of Templeton and Oxford. He had faithfully performed that duty and about ten o’clock Thursday evening left Oxford thinking that he could walk to Templeton, a distance of two miles in time for ihe train going north on the Big Four. At ’ha. time it wt.s bitter •» Id. The merenrj- was twenty-two degrees below zero and the keen wind whistling over the pv.iaie, while the drifting snow obstructed the road ano’ must have rendered wa’xing very difficult- W“ cannot describe tbe struggle for life made by yonng Farrell and can only say that he was found the nexi morning, frozen to death about ha f way between Oxford and Templet-m. The bofly was first seen by pa’ties aboard of the fric’ht train goingeast, next morning .and a hand car, manned by Tim Curtin and others, of Templeton picked it up a><d convened it to Oxford where the!

' roner's inquest - was ueld. Apperauces all indicate that h ■ had made a desperate effort to reach Teinti’eton, and that after becoming too weak and benumbed to walk had actually crawled a long distance Au effo>t was made to resuscitate the hoc bu'it was soon evident that lhe la;t spark of life had gdne out, that Stephen Fa'rell was no more- He was buried a> Oxford on Sunday, a very large con course ol people attending tbe futtet ’ no withstanding the bitter cold and driviug storm. Stephen Farrell was 22 years of age, the son of John Farrell, a piomirent citizen residing four miles from Oxford ami the family is one the best in the county. Last fall he had a long and sevc e siege of typhoid fever, the effects of which seemed to settle in his lower extremities. When he left Fowler Thursday morning Ids feet were thereby so badly swollen that I ■could not wear his boots and consequently had to put on his cloth overshoes without them, it is though that in his debilitated condition he soon succumbed toThe piercing cold his lower extremities refused t > supp >rt his ii >dj-, and there being no Otic to hear his cries for help, sank .down and died. When the news reached Fowler Friday a. m. Judge Ward adjourned court until .Monday out of respect for the deca-sed as an officer. —Ben ton Review.