Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 22, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 May 1901 — Worse Runaway Than Any. [ARTICLE]

Worse Runaway Than Any.

A fouiiff Man Instantly Killed At Comer. The remarkable series of runaway accidents that have happened in this county recently, most of them with more or less serious injuries to individuals, culminated Thursday afternoon in one that cost a human being his life. It happened at'Comer station in Barkley tp. on the Gifford railroad, between 3 and 3:30 p. m. Thomas Dexter, a young man from Morooco, was working for Harry Gifford, and was engaged in rolling land with a large iron roller. At the time mentioned he started to go into a different field and had to drive across the railroad tracks, at Comer. As he drove upon the tracks the horses took fright, pro bably from the noise made by the roller on the rails, and started to run. They ran about 100 yards, and when going at high speed, the end of the roller struck a tree. Only two persons saw the accident, Mrs. Harry Gifford and Mrs. Tom Callahan, and the horses and roller made so much dust that they could not see clearly what happened. But when they saw Dexter he lay on his back and seemed to be trying to lift himself up with his hands. Mrs. Gifford ran to him and then ran to three water tanks after water, but by the time she got back with it he was dead. Coronor Wright and Dr. E. C. English went out and held an inquest, the same evening. They found that the young man’s neck was broken, probably from contact with the tree. His chest and back were also badly crushed and bruised, and it was thought the end of the roller came down on him as it bounced from the tree. He breathed a few minutes after he was hurt, but never spoke. The {Torses broke loose from the roller, when it struck the tree, but it was under such headway that it ran 30 or 40 feet further before it stopped. The unfortunate young man had only recently left his parents’ home, at Morocco, and had been working for Mr. Gifford only since last Monday. The remains were taken to Morocco, Friday, at which place the funeral was held.