Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 35, Number 41, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 January 1903 — Would Have Killed Most Men. [ARTICLE]

Would Have Killed Most Men.

John F. Meyers, the Kniipan general merchant, made one of hie rare visits to Beasselaer, Friday. It is now just about 9 years since John met with the worst accident that any Jasper county man ever met with and lived to tell the tale. He and a companion were coming home from an eastern trip, over the B. ■& O. road. As they approached Alida, where theß. & 0. crosses the Monon, they went out on the platform, intending to get off as the train slowed up for tbe crossing. While their train was still going very fast, the engine struck a signal torpedo on the rail, which was the sign of danger ahead. Tbe engineer threw the emergency brake, and the sudden shook threw John off and he shot 40 or*so feet along the right of way. His skull was badly fractured on top, a huge piece of scalp and skin torn off on head and forehead. All his teeth knocked out, his backbone partly crushed, his right band mashed, and outs and bruises pretty nearly every place. He was a long time unconscious, and for a still longer time lay at the point of death. He finally pulled through however, but his doctors said that probably not two other men in Jasper county would have lived through such an accident. He sued Ihe railroad for $15,000 and after lawing several years got $5,000, but the lawyers’ fees and other expenses took $3,000 of that. He never has been a physically able man since.