Evening Republican, Volume 16, Number 52, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 February 1912 — YOUNG MAN KILLED IN RUNAWAY ACCIDENT. [ARTICLE]

YOUNG MAN KILLED IN RUNAWAY ACCIDENT.

John Boras, of Mt. Ayr, Met Death to That Towo Wednesday Evening When Team Ban Away. John Burns, 26 years of age, son of Mrs. Biddie Burns, a widowed lady livmg north of Mt* Ayr, met death lit a runaway Wednesday evening. Young Burns had been in Mt Ayr to haye a wagon fixed and was riding on the gears, having left the bed off. It was about 6:30 or 7 o’clock when he started * . home and his horses became frightened and ran away, starting inside the corporation. Trustee Conda Stucker beard the horses running and several others did also but they could only see a glimpse of the animals as they dashed along. The telephone was used and James Holley, living a mile in the country, succeeded in stopping the horses at bis place. They were free from the wagon at that time. A search was then hegun for Burns and about an hour later his body was found In the street in front of the residence of Trustee Stucker. He was dead when found and an investigation made by the local doctors and later by the deputy coroner from Goodland, showed that bis skull had been crushed and that there wfere two gashes on the forehead that extended through the skull. Death was probably instantaneous an J caused- by him -being thrown headThe rear-part of the wagon had become separated by the v falling of the king bolt near the place where Burns’ body was found. The horses had pulled the front wheels of the wagon a mile further before they became freed from them. A large pile of ashes In the center of the street near where Burns fell Trom the wagon and over which the horses' had passed in their mad flight is held responsible for his being jostled off the wagon gear’s. Burns had a brother die a little over a year ago as the result of a runaway accident and one of the horses that was in the runaway Wednesday night is also reported to have killed a man about a year ago at Morocco. Burns lived 2*6 miles northwest of Mt. Ayr. He was a young man of good repute. He lived with his mother, an older brother and a sister. His funeral will take place Saturday morning at 11 o’clock at the home and burial will be made in the Lone Star cemetery.