Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 226, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 September 1913 — LOST RIGHT HAND IN CORN CUTTER [ARTICLE]

LOST RIGHT HAND IN CORN CUTTER

James Steffel, 25 Years of Age, First Victim in This Section of Cutting Machine. The first corn cutter accident of 1913 in this section occurred last Friday afternoon at about 3:30 o’clock on the C. P. Moody farm in Barkley township. The victim was James Stoffel, a farm man about 25 years of age. Stoffel was feeding the cutter that was being used in filling Mr. Moody’s silo. The thumb of his glove caught in a cog and his hand was drawn into the knives and the first joint of his thumb and all but t*he little finger of his hand were cut off. With his right hand in the machine Stoffel threw the machine out of gear with his left; hand. A little later one of the hands with the machine found Stoffel’s index finger and attached to it a chord extending clear to the elbow, which had been drawn out after the finger had been severed. Stoffel was suffering intense pain but kept up remarkably, and Dr. Sharrer, of Francesville, and Dr. Clayton, of Monon, were summoned and dressed the hand, after removing all crushed parts. The little finger and part of the thumb were all that were saved. Stoffel has been working ..for Albert Walters' on the John Randle farm and was removed there after the accident. He is said to be suffering a great amount of pain. The corn cutter belonged to Ed Randle, C. P. Moody, and others in 'that neighborhood.