Jasper County Democrat, Volume 15, Number 69, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 30 November 1912 — FATAL ACCIDENT TUESDAY EVENING [ARTICLE]

FATAL ACCIDENT TUESDAY EVENING

William Washburn and Noble Peacock Dashed to Eternity STRUCK BY HOOSIER LIMITED While Loading Cattle at Stockyards and Instantly Killed —Fra nif Hill, R. S. Makeever and Two Others Have Narrow Escape.—Did Not Hear Flier Approaclilng.

Perhaps the worst accident that ever happened in Rensselaer occurred about 6 o’clock Tuesday evening, when William Washburn, a well known farmer an stockman, and Noble Peacock, son of Mrs. Erastus Peacock of Rensselaer, were hurled into eternity by the Hoosier Limited, while loading cattle at the stock . yards at the east side of town, near j the cement tile factory. Frank Hill, jD. S. Makeever, Clay Dewees, Mr. j Washburn's farm tenant, and W. j Rough, Deweese’s hired man, nar- ; rowly escaped'the same fate. In fact I Hill was struck by something, he doesn’t know what, on the left arm j and it was reported the member was ! broken, but it proved to be only , badly bruised. Mr. Makeever was al!so knocked down by one *of the bodies and considerably bruised. 1 The others of the party were unhurt. \

WiasWburn, Makeever and Hill ! were loading cattle and bogs for shipping, having six carloads in all, i of cattle and one of hogs. The sidetrack was occupied by the stock cars and as fast as one was loaded it was pushed down east over the j street crossing and another one was ■j Sot in {dace. They were returning west from pushing a loaded car over < the crossing with Dewees in the lead with the pinch-bar, and Peacock, i Washburn, Hill and Rough following ,in the order named. A freight engine standing on the south sidetrack was puffing and snorting and the enj tire party had evidently forgotten about the Hoosier Limited, due at ,6:02, and the noise of the locomotive on the opposite track drowned the roar of the swiftly approaching • train. A pile of loose rails between I the north track and the main track made it necessary' to step around them, and they no doubt got over < on the edge of the main track or j ver >' dose to it when the flyer came , whizzing by at a speed of forty miles an hour.

Young Peacock and Washburn were struck by the engine and thrown quite a distance, the former's head striking one of the pile of rails axd the entire top of his skull torn off . Pieces of the head were found thirty feet from the body. Mr. Washburn was thrown north and completely under the trucks of one of the cars on the sidetrack, his skull fractured on the top of the head and one arm and one leg broken and the body badly bruised. Death came so sudenly that neither ever realized what had struck them.

The suction of the fast moving train almost drew Kough under it. He was pulled to the ground and remembers grasping something and holding on, probably one of the loose rails between the tracks. Dewees was at the rear of the car with the pinch-bar and escaped injury or being thrown down.

As soon as the men could gather their senses they started for aid, stopping first at the Babcock & Hopkins elevator while Mr. Makeever went on to the depot. , The train crew never knew that they had struck anybody, and Mr. Washburn’s body not being found at onte, it was thought perhaps it had lodged on the cowcatcher, and the agent at Fair Oaks was telegraphed to stop the train and ascertain. This was the first intimation the crew had that anyone had been struck.

After some little time, however, Mr. Washburn’s body was found and the two bodies were taken to the Wright undertaking rooms and prepared for burial. Mr.' Washburn’s remains were taken to the family home on the west side of town Wednesday afternoon, but that of ytoung Peacock was not taken to his mother’s horn© until f this afternoon,

on account of the condition of Mts. Peacock, who is in very poor health and was to have entered the Rensselaer Hospital yesterday to undergo an operation. William Wlashburn was one of Jasper oounty’s best known farmers and stockmen and a highly respected citizen. He ‘had lived in Jordan tp., for many years, where he still owned a large farm. Starting at the lower rung of the ladder he had iaccumu/lated considerable iproperty. He was a careful, conservative man and of good sound judgment. He to Rensselaer about twenty years ago and had a nice comfortable home at the west end of McCoy Avenue, where with his esti-i unable wife they were passing down the shady side of life’s pathway in happiness and plenty. He had been* veny successful in. stock feeding andj Continued to look after his farm and the stock growing and feeding end of it.

He leaves a wife and one daughter, Mrs. W. O. Rowles, ~ and two grandchildren by his deceased daughter, Mrs. Iva Robinson, and a host of warm friends.

The body lay in. state at the home Thursday, where it was viewed by many old and sorrowing friends. The funeral was held yesterday at 10:00 a. m., from the Methodist church and was largely attended. Burial was made in Weston cemetery. Mr. Washburn’s age was 67 years.

Noble Peacack was aged 23 years, 7 months and 11 days. He was a son of Erastus and Florence Peacock, and ‘was a nice yotfngr man. He had served in the U. S. army L::l returned .ionic, several .nom i:s ago, and his devotion to his mother, who was in poor health, had endeared him to many people. He intended to remain here with his mother and care for her in iher old age. His sad taking off was a terrible blow to her.'

The young man had been working for Firman Rutherford, but had got off .for the day to help Mr. Washburn, whio had been a former neighbor and had performed many kindly acts for the family, ip, driving and loading his cattle. He leaves a father, Erastus Peacoolj. of Tarpon Springs, Fla., mother, two sisters, Mrs. Dora McClure of Hammond and Mrs. H. J. Bartoo of Remington-—who was here with her mother when the accident occurred —and one younger brother, Blaine, who is with his father in Florida.

Mr. Bartoo, who was told of the accident by phone soon after it occurred, hurried over by auto and was here within a half hour after he was appraised of it.