Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 218, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 September 1917 — NEGRO KILLED AT MOROCCO [ARTICLE]

NEGRO KILLED AT MOROCCO

HARRY HANIGAN KILLED BY C. A E. I. TRAIN AT MOROCCO FRIDAY. Morocco, so many times within the past few months the scene of railroad tragedies, added another to her long list of horrors Friday,* when Harry Hanigan, colored, aged 33 years, was killed by a C. & E. I. train which was pulling into Morocco at about 4 o’clock Friday evening. Again, as so many times before, an automobile played a prominent part in the tragedy. Both legs and arms of the dead man were severed from his body, and ms head was crushed, from which the brains were oozing forth. Hanigan was a married man and worked as a farm, hand for Fred Bencke, a farmer living north of Morocco. In company with Mr. Bencke, Hanigan had come to town to make purchases and at the time the tragedy occurred the two of them were on their way home. Mr. Bencke was at the wheel of the car, which was a Dort. The car was nearing the C. & E. I. tracks on the road just next to the depot. The engineer had blown the whistle when a block from the station. The steam had been shut off and the train was coasting to the station, which no doubt was the cause of the occupants of the car not hearing the approcahing train. The view of the track was also shut off to the men by the electric light plant building. Bencke was almost upon the track when Hanigan noted the coming train and uttered a shriek. In a last desperate effort Bencke hastened the speed of the car, but when directly on the track the auto engine started missing and Hanigan thinking that the car would not be clear of the track in time, jumped. Bencke remained at the wheel and succeeded in crossing to safety, escaping the train by inches. Hanigan in jumping from the car, failed to alight clear of the tracks and the train passed over him. The funeral occurred this Saturday afternoon and burial was made in the Morgan cemetery 10 miles from Morocco. No blame is attached to the engineer and the fault seems to have entirely rested with the occupants of the car. Within the past several months Morocco has been the scene of many such accidents and only a short time ago three were killed when a New York Central train struck the automobile in which they were riding. Suits have been fildd in the Newton court by relatives of the deceased and one occupant who escaped. Whether the approaches to the tracks are bad or the drivers of automobiles in that section are criminally careless, we cannot say, but it seems as if it is time that the railroads and drivers of automobiles should co-operate in preventing such disasters. Such tragedies are terrible and are very shocking to the community, andrsuch accidents should serve as a warning to drivers crossing railroad tracks \.in automobiles.

Editor L. H. Hamilton went to Terre Haute today, where he will meet Bruce Elmore, who is the head of a theatrical company. Mr. EL more’s home is in Canada and during Fred Hamilton’s visit in Canada he met Mr. Elmore and the latter took a gre&t liking to Hamilton and has corresponded with him since he has been in France.