Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 47, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 July 1895 — A FATAL ACCIDENT. [ARTICLE]

A FATAL ACCIDENT.

BENJAMIN FISHER KILLED BY A LOCOMOTIVE. Last Friday morning about 10 :S0 o’clock, Benjamin Fisher, a section band on the Monon, was run down by an extra freight train, about a half mile this side of Surrey. All the other men on his section had been called to Cedar Lake, to assist in unloading railroad iron, and Mr. Fisher was left to look after the section alone. The manner in which he met with his accident is not very clear. He passed south, over the track, by Surrey, about an hour before. He appears to have stopped at the scene of his accident and began the work of digging the sand between two of the ties, in preparation for the ballasting now in progress. The local freight came along, running north and stopped at the Surrey depot, to await south bound mail train, then nearly due. Fisher evidently did not notice that the local freight was flying the signal flag of a special following it, and he therefore was only on the lookout for the mail tram from the north. A very strong wind was blowing, also from the north, and this would have the effect of preventing the sound of the approaching extra freight from being heard. He was_ evidently hard at work, with his shovel, between the two rails of the track, and throwing out the sand from between two ties. The engineer and fireman of the special say they did not see him until within 50 feet. They claim that he was lying down between the ties; and he perhaps was bent over very low for some purpose, perhaps to tighten a bolt, and perhaps to clean the sand from under the rails. He evidently heard the train just as it was almost upon him and made a jump to escape, and was partly off the track when the engine struck him. The cowcatcher evidently struck him and he was dragged on his back just outside the 'east rail, a distance of 120 feet; with his legs under the cowcatcher. He then struck a strong stake, driven near the track to mark a grade, and this had the effect of dragging him from under the cowcatcher. There is no reason to be-

lieve that the wheels passed over any part of his body; his injuries being caused by the cowcatcher, when first struck, and by being dragged by it afterwards. Both legs were crashed at the knees, and one of them nearly amputated between the knee and the foot. One thigh bone was also broken. There was a cut over one eye, another in the back of the head, and his back was somewhat bruised. The train which caused the accident sidetracked at Surrey, and after leaving word for the passenger train to stop for the injured man, the men walked back to the place, and when the passenger train came it stopped and Fisher was placed on board and brought to Rensselaer, and taken to the home of his father, Henry Fisher, on Main street, not far from the depot. He was conscious when taken from the train, but in such a dazed condition that he was unable to give a connected account of the accident. He never rallied from the shock, and died about 2:30 P. M. Beojamin F. Fisher was aged 41 years, 9 months and 1 day. He leaves a widow who was his second wife, and 6 children, of ages from 2 to 18 years. He lived about a mile northwest of town. The funeral was held Sunday forenoon, at the Primitive Baptist church;

the religious services being conducted by Rev. W. R. Nowels, assisted by Rev. B. F. Ferguson. THE CORONER’S INQUEST. Coroner Wright began his inquest Saturday, and adjourned until Tuesday to'give opportunity to have the train men summoned. Drs. V. E. Loughridge and I. B. Washburn tessified to the extent of his injuries and that he died from

shock. W. F. Taylor, of Lafayette, was the engineer on the train. He saw Fisher about 40 car lengths ahead, when he was running about 15 miles an hour. Fisher laid on the railroad, With his feet between the two rails, and his body across the other rail, when he first saw him. He did not know it was a man until about 50 feet away. He thinks Fisher raised up a little just before the pilot struck him. The wheels did not pass over him. Taylor walked back, asked Fisher his name, what family he had etc. Says he found a bottle of white whiskey or alcohol in Fisher’s coat pocket. Asked Fisher if he had been drinking any liquor. Fisher said “no.” Taylor then asked Fisher what he was doing with that bottle of and Fisher answered, “ That whiskey ” “that whiskey. ” The engineer sayh he blew the whistle to stop for Surrey, a little liefore he saw Fisher, and when he saw Fisher was a man, he whistled again, and put on the air brakes. Taylor thought Fisher was dragged about 20 feet. J. L. Delap, of Lafayette, was tbe fireman. He tells about tbe same story about seeing tbe object on the track, which proved to be a man lying down, as Taylor did. Also abont tbe whistle sounding. He did not go back with the engineer to where Fisher was, and therefore did not see him after he was struck. Fisher was dragged abont 10 feet. On the point of the whiskey, Dr* Y. E Loughridge, who almost constantly attended Fisher nntil his death, testified that he noticed no evidence of his having been drinking. Thought it would have been evident on Fisher’s breath. James Maloy saw Fisher as be was starting out, and examined the new mackintosh coat Fisher had bongbt that morning. Didn’t see any bottl®, and never knew Fisher to drink. G. M. Wilcox, at Surrey, salw and spoke to Fisher about an hour before the cident. Saw no evidence of his having been drinking. Wilcox, Jap Kenton, Wat Hopkins and several others were intimately acquainted with Fisher, and never knew him to drink.

Dallas Parks, who lives near Surrey, rode up on the local, a little ahead of the extra that killed Fisher. He saw the latter and waved his hand to him. Also saw Fisher step back upon the track, as if to resume work after the local passed him. Fisher seemed all right then, and never knew him to drink. The hearing adjourned until Wednesday morning.

C. D. Nowels ar d D. B. Nowels examined the scene of the accident the same evening it occured. They could see where Fisher had been at work with his shovel, and where he bad been dragged along outside of the east rail, after he was caught. He was dragged 120 feet. James Norrio, the section foreman, testified that he bad sent orders to Fisher to work where he did, by Fisher’s son. Never knew Fisher to have liquor with him, when on tie road, °nd did not know that he drank. Norris measured the distance Fisher had evidently been dragged. It was 120 feet. John Conden, the conductor on the train, helped pick Fisher up. He also testified as to the presence of the whiskey bottle. The state in the inquest is represented by Prosecuting Attorney Douthit; the railroad by its resident attorney, W. B. Austin. The hearing was continued until Wednesday afternoon, and was not concluded as we went to press. It seems to be the theory of the State’s attorney and of Fisher’s friends, that Fisher was working on the track when struck, and in fall view Of the trainsmen; and that the whiskey bottle was placed in his ooat after the accident, and that the story of the bottle and of his being lying on the track, was concocted by then train men, to escape the responsibility for their carelessness in not warning Fisher.