Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 13, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 14 October 1902 — A Wonderful Escape [ARTICLE]

A Wonderful Escape

rMan Thrown 50 Feet By the Cars and With a Broken A railroad accident occured near town Sunday morning which re* suited in a man being severely injnred bat in his escaping death in a marvellous manner. The victim of the accident was Joe Devereaux now living about two miles from Kniman, but formerly on John Mafenever’s farm, northwest of town. He was in town Saturday evening and got “boozed up,” as usual, and at midnight took his horse and buggy from Kressler’s hitch barn •nd left for home. He was very drunk at that time, by all accounts, How he spent the rest of the night 10 one knows, but about five o’clock Sunday morning, the Monon’s taper train from Chicago struck ps horse and buggy at the crossing an the north and south road, about 2 miles north of town, and a quarter of a mile or so south of Vaughn Dhurch. Ths horse when struck Was standing on the track, headed north, and across the castle guard as though Devereaux had started to drive up the track. The horse was dragged perhaps 1000 feet before the train stopped and was tern and ground to pieces. The buggy also was reduced to kindling wood and scrap iron. Devereaux ‘was thrown clear toross the road and over the fence into a field, a distance, it is itated of 150 feet by actual qsasurement. The train backed ip and brought him to town, and *9 was taken to John Brown’s lotel the former Foster House, op dain street. His principal injury sin his left leg, below the knee, where for a distance of several nohes both bones are broken into iplinters. This injury was caused his striking a fence post when he alighted. He is otherwise extensively bruised and battered, but lone .-of his other injuries are serious. Dr. Berkley who has charge of the case, is as yet pable to determine, until the swelling subsides, whether or not the leg will have to be amputated, but he believes it can be saved. Groceries and other articles in the buggy was destroyed, but a whisky bottle in Joe’s pocket escaped unharmed.