Evening Republican, Volume 14, Number 84, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 8 April 1910 — “CHICK” PARKS MEETS AN UNTIMELY DEATH. [ARTICLE]

“CHICK” PARKS MEETS AN UNTIMELY DEATH.

Former Mt. Ayr Ball Player Killed by Catching Hold of Live Wire at Hammond Yesterday.

Hamilton H. Parke, son of Mr. and Mrs. N. K. Parke, of Hammond, but formerly of Brook, met death in Hammond at about 7:30 o’clock Wednesday evening by catching hold of a s live electric light wire, which the Hammond Times says was- left lying in the street from 7:30 o’clock in the morn-, ing until Parke was killed by it. The Times characterizes it as criminal carelessness on the part of some one. Parke was well known in Rensselaer as “Chick” Parke, and on several occasions was used to play second base for the Wrens ball team. He was a member of the Mt. Ayr team, playing with the strong team that town had in 1908. He worked as an electrician ■ for the Standard Steel company in Hammond. The Times of that city gives the following account of the accident: ■ - \

Hamilton H. Parke, 26 years old, of 812 Sibley street, was electrocuted last night by an electric light wire because of somebody’s criminal negligence. The inquest has not yet been held and the blame has consequently not been fixed, but it is apparent that there was no excuse for this dangerojs wire to lmperal human lives from 7:30 in the morning until 7:30 at night. The inexplicable co-incidence in the death of Parke is that he himself is an ifoeMclait. v

The wire was one belonging to the light system of the Northern Indiana Gas and Electric company, and hung at the street intersection of Sibley street and Howard avenue. NeighborHood reports have it that the wire was torn down by an aerial truck wagon for the Ggry Interurban and that the employep who were working on their new line, permitted the wire to lay there without attempting to repair it or making a report. At any rate it lay there* all day although there was no danger then because the eleetric current had been cut off. In the evening however when *the current’ was put on the danger was renewed. The light at this corner of course was out Of and anybody was in danger of coming in contact with it as it dangled from the pole. - Parke, although not killed on the instant, was unable to tell the story of his accident. It seems hardly credible that he who himself an electrician should have ventured to take hold of a wire about which he did not know whether it was changed or not.

Others beliaveOhat he, tealizing the danger, wanted to put the wire farther out of danger. People hoWever who were nearby saw"a“flash and theirsaw the young man fall to the ground. He was horribly burned, 3,500 volts having passed through his body. The auto patrol was summoned immediately and rushed the injured man to St. Margarets but he died by the time the institution had been reached and the body was taken from there to the Bums undertaking establishment. The first report about the live wire came to the police station about ten minutes after seven o’clock last night. The eleetric light company had hardly been notified when- another report was received to the effect that Parke had been burned.

H. H. Parke was employed as an electrician in the Standard Steel Car works, having resided in Hammond with his parents for three years. H e was unmarried. He is survived by his pirents, a married sister in Kentland, and another in Brook, and by two unmarried sisters, one residing at Brook and the other at Terre Haute. The body will be shipped to Renselsaer for burial.

A. K. Yeoman had a little runaway a few days ago. He was driving a mare that is old enough to know better, but she was feeling pretty good and made one or two efforts to break away before she succeeded. She started to run near the Forsythe reside nee Irad Mr. Yeoman fell from the buggy but escaped injury. She ran into the fence at the Tuteur property and the only injury was a slight break to the harness. We pay cash for what you have to sell. Home Grocery,