Evening Republican, Volume 59, Number 82, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 April 1917 — ONION GROWER NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH [ARTICLE]

ONION GROWER NARROWLY ESCAPES DEATH

George Bowman Run Over By 3,000 Pound Moline Tractor—Steel Prongs Tear Into Body. The. age of miracles seems not to have passed. That George Bowman is alive today is a miracle as is attested by the harrowing experience he was forced to pass through Wednesday afternoon, escaping death by the narrowest margin possible. Bowman is a Newland onion grower, about 40 yeans old, and a man with a family. He is cultivating a patch of 40 acres of onions for Collins Bros., of Chicago, and is well known in this vicinity, having been a resident of near Newland for some time. Bowman was plowing with a 3,000 pound Moline tractor on the patch of ground where he was to sow his onion seed. He had stopped the machine, leaving the engine running and stepped down to the side of the tractor. He was learning against one of the wheels, when the clutch slipped and the tractor started forward. On the wheels of the tractor are large steel prongs, which aid in tearing up the ground. One of these prangs caught Bowman’s coat and he was carried over with the wheel and thrown beneath the machine. The wheel passed over him as he lay helpless, the steel prangs tearing gaping wounds in jjis side and abdomen. His ribs were all broken. Only for the fact that the ground where the accident took piece was very soft and the space (between the prongs of the wheel was t filled with mud, is Bowman able to be alive today to tell the tale. Mr. Bowman is a big man, weighing in the neighborhood of 260 pounds, and his weight and strength stead him in goad stead, as he was able to keep some of the weight off his body by pushing upward. ’ Men working nearby 'heard his cnee of distress and quickly came to his aid, summoning a Rensselaer physician, who administered to his wounds, but held out scant hopes'of his recovery. On returning Thursday morning the same physician found his paitient doing well and anxious to get back to his work. Several persons have refused to believe the above tale, but there were witnesses who will vouch for the story as tefld by Bowman and the wounds on his body wilt substantiate him.

Mrs. Jesse Nichols has received an invitation from her nephews, Russell and Andy Nhhols, of New Florence, Mo., to attenc the commencement exercises of their high school to be held then* April 27, 1917. The -boys are members of this year’s class. Their mother is a sister of Mrs. Jesse Nichols and therefore a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Wplker, of Barkley township. The father of the boys is Alv". Nichols, son of the 'Date S. R. Nichols.