Jasper County Democrat, Volume 5, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1902 — HORSE KILLED, BOTTLE SAVED [ARTICLE]

HORSE KILLED, BOTTLE SAVED

Joe Deveraux of Walker Tp., Loaee Out In Colllalan With a Monon Train. Joseph Deveraux of near Kniman, met with an experience last Sunday morning that ought to make a “prohi” of him the rest of his natural life. He came to town Saturday, done a little trading and then loaded up on firewater. Late at night, or probably early in the morning, he left town, the horse evidently acting as its own guide. Joe’s father-in-law resides near Surrey and Joe himself formerly resided 'in that vicinity, and the herse wended its way toward Surrey. Arriving at the crossing about a mile south of Surrey, Joe evidently woke up and realized that he was on the wrong track, and decided to take another “road.” At any rate, the horse turned up the Monon track, crossed the cattle-guard and was probably standing there on the track when the southbound early mail train came thundering along, 15 minutes late. The morning was a little foggy and the rig could not be seen by the engineer. The locomotive struck the horse with full force. Deveraux was thrown about 150 feet over a fence and into a field. His leg came in contact with a pole or post and was badly broken, otherwise, except for a few scratches on the head, he was uninjured and a bottle of whiskey in bis pocket was not broken. The poor horse fared worse. It was dragged about a thousand feet and ground to pieces, while the buggy looked as if it had gone through a threshing machine. The train was stopped and the crew picked up Deveraux and brought him to Rensselaer. He was taken to the hotel near the depot and his broken limb attended to. At this writing he is getting along all right.