Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 204, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 August 1915 — ANOTHER GENTLEMAN TRAMP HURT HERE [ARTICLE]

ANOTHER GENTLEMAN TRAMP HURT HERE

Second Preson to Be Hurt at Depot This Week Had Leg Mashed Off Below Knee.

W. B. Womble, 19 years old, was the second person hurt here this week by a train, and both were hurt by the same train. At 1:38 Tuesday a gentleman tramp was crushed between the cars as, he was stealing a ride. The young fellow who was hurt last night was also riding on the 1:38 train. The train stopped here about ten minutes for some repairs and Womble, who was riding on top of the coach, climbed down. As the train started up he tried to climb back to his position but fell. His right leg fell under the car and was crushed entirely off about four inches below the knee. r Womble’s home is in Cary, N. C. He had been on a bumming trip and after attending the exposition was on his way back home. Last year he had w r on a scholarship to an agricultural college which he intended to enter next week. The young man seemed intelligent and was a nice appearing fellow but his love for this certain kind of adventure has crippled him for life. His father is dead but he has a mother living and three brothers and a sister, all younger than himself. Mrs. I. M. Shide, df Larimore, N. Dak., who came on the 1:38 train to visit her mother, who is sick at the home of John Zimmer, heard the young man scream and ran to his assistance. He was conscious and told her to take a string out of his pocket and tie his leg up so he wouldn’t bleed to death. She found a piece of muslin in his pocket and with this she tied up the bleeding limb. She then called others and a call was sent to Dr. Johnson. Someone asked the boy where his leg was and he replied that it was lying up the track a ways but it was lying inside the track and near the body. When the doctor arrived the wound was dressed and he was taken to Hammond at 4:51, where he Was taken to a hospital, and Dr. Johnson found it necessary to cut the leg off just above the knee. He came out from under the anaesthetic very well and seemed to be doing nicely when Dr. Johnson rtumed at 10 o’clock. It seems that more accidents of this kind happen at Rensselaer than at any other station. Womble was one of the many young fellows who undertook to bum their way to the exposition and one of the many persons who are hurt in attempting to steal rides on trains.