Neb State Historical Soo
tte
VOL. XXXIV.
PLATTSMOUTH, NEBRASKA, MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27, 1915.
NO. 30.
FRIGHTFUL
THE MISSOURI PACIFIC
Passenger Train Coming
Going North Collide Some Three Miles
North of Plattsmouth.
ENGINEER, FIREMAN
The Two Engines Completely Wrecked and Bag
gage Car and Several Freight Cars
Entirely Demolished.
From Friday' nally.
This morning at 8:30 a terrible
head-on collision occurred on the Mis
souri Pacific, northwest of this city,
which resulted in the death of En
gineer Mike Sherlock and Fireman VV".
R. Goodman of passenger train No.
104, and Head Brakeman Wilson of
north-hound freight train No. 53, as
well as the serious injury of George
Cotton, baggageman of the passenger
train. The locomotives of both trains
were practically demolished and the
baggage car of the passenger train
was completely torn to pieces when
the two locomotives hurled themselves
together and were scatteied on both
side of the track.
The freight crew had received
orders at this city to meet the pas
senger train at La Platte and were
unaware of the approach of the pas
senger train until, when coming down
the hill toward the crossing of the
Burlington, they saw the passenger
train coming around the bend and
running at a high rate of speed. En
gineer Reed of the freight train, look
ing from his cab window, saw the
passenger approaching, and realizing
that a collision could not be avoided,
shut down the brakes and calling to
Fireman Wyeth to jump, leaped from
the cab as the two trains came to
gether. In a few seconds from the time the
two men jumped the two locomotives
met and in an instant were hurled to
either side of the track arid practical
ly stripping each other, while the
baggage car was smashed to splinters
within a few minutes, with the result
that the contents of the car were scat
tered over the remains of the engine
of the passenger train, which was torn
off of the trucks.
The engineer and fireman of the
passenger train were killed at their
post of duty and their bodies were
found lying in the midst of the wreck
of their engine and broken and lacer
ated in a terribel manner, The fire
man, Goodman, was found lying head
down from the wreck of the engine
cab and had evidently been engaged in
putting in coal when the crash came,
while the engineer was at his station
on the right-hand side of the cab,
which probably accounted for his not
seeing the approaching freight train
until too late, as a grove of trees shut
off the view along the track until
within a short distance of the spot
where the two trains met.
The passengers on the train were
not any of them seriously injured, al
though the cook in the cafe car re
ceived rather severe cuts on his right
arm from the splintered glass, and a
greater part were bruised about the
hands and face, as the sudden shock
threw them out of their seats in all
directions and piled the occupants up
in the aisles of the coaches.
It was stated by passengers on No.
104 that they had met a freight at La
Platte and that the engineer and fire
man had understood thz.t it was the
freight they were supposed to meet at
that place, and at once started at a
good rate of speed on to Plattsmouth,
and the first intimation of danger was
when a number on the right-hand side
of the train, glancing out, saw the ap
proaching freight. The crew of the
passenger train state that the block
was not set against them at the cross
ing and they were running at a good
rate of speed to make the hill leading
into this city when the wreck oc
curred. The freight train crew had not been
WRECK ON
South and Freight Train
AND BRAKEMAN KILLED
exjecting the passenger and the train
was proceeding at. a leisurely rate of
speed on the down grade, and it is
probably due to this fact that there
was not more deaths among the pas
sengers when the two trains met. The
head brakeman, Wilson, was sitting
on the seat in the cab of the freight
train, and when the trains came to
gether was hurled into the midst of
the wneckage and was instantly killed.
All the dead men reside at Kansas
City, where they have families.
It was stated that after the wreck
that the block was set on the freight
train by some of the passengers on
No. 104, but if this was set before the
wreck occurred it was ignored or over
looked by the freight crew, as their
train was ten car lengths past the
block when the mixup took place.
As soon a? the report of the wreck
was telephoned in the citizens pro
ceeded to the scene of the terrible ac
cident and every physician in the city
hastened to the scene to volunteer
their services to care for the wounded.
Cotton, the baggageman, and Mc
Coy, a mail clerk, were suffering from
the most serious injuries, but these
were not dangerous, while the colored
cook, with his injured right arm, was
looked after. Charles White of Kan
sas City suffered a severe bruising
and his hands and arms were lacerat
ed quite badly. Mrs. Arthur Baker of
Murray suffered a severe shaking up
and was bruised somewhat about the
face.
C. L. Stull, who was working in his
field near the scene of the wreck, was
an eye witness of the collision, and
states that as the two locomotives
came together they reared high in the
air as they met, and descending were
reduced to a mere scrap of iron. The
tender of the passenger engine was
thrown clear of the track on the east
side of the right-of-way, while that of
the freight engine flew to the left side.
There were five freight cars demolish
ed in the mix-up, and their contents
strewn over the ground for a great
distance.
;The wrecking crews were summon
ed from Falls City and Omaha, reach
ing the scene of the accident shortly
after noon, and it will require until to
morrrow morning to remove the
wreckage and clear the track of the
debris of the wrecked cars and the
locomotives.
A special train was run from Falls
City, reaching here about an hour and
a half after the accident, to take care
of the passengers and remove them
from the scejie of the wreck, and on
their way to their destination.
While the loss of the trainmen is
bad enough, it is really fortunate that
the death list was not greater and
that the passengers escaped prac
tically uninjured.
The condition of George, Cotton, the
injured baggageman, is very serious
and he may not recover from the ef
fect of his injuries, which seem to be
of an internal nature. Mr. Cotton
was taken from the midst of the
debris of the demolished baggage car,
and how he escaped instant death
seems strange, as there was not
enough of the car left to make a
showing, and to the fact of the bag
gage car being demolished may be laid
the fact that the remaining five cars
on the passenger train were not dam
aged. The mail clerk on the train suf
fered the breaking of the right leg
and was taken to the hospital at Oma
ha for treatment.
Almost all the passengers on the
train were bruised ind injured in the
wreck by being thrown from their
seats, and among these were E. E. Ed
wards of Omaha, a salesman for the
M. E. Smith Co., who had his right
arm sprained in the general mix-up.
Coroner J. F. Brendel of Murray
was notified of the wreck and came to
this city and impanneled the follow
ing jury: C. A. Rosencrans, Ben
Windham. T. S. Barrows, Lee Nickels
II. C. Creamer and W. H. Puis, who
viewed-the bodies and took the testi
mony of the members of the train
crews of both trains, and returning to
this city brought in a verdict that the
three men came to their death in a
wreck caused by passenger train No
104 on the Missouri Pacific leaving
the station of La Platte contrary to
orders.
The three dead men will be prepar
ed for burial and the remains sent to
their families at Kansas City.
FILES SUIT AGAINST
RINGLING BROTHERS
AT NEBRASKA CITY
From Frldav's t)aily.
Yesterday while in Nebraska City
Attorney Matthew Gering, for Wil
liam Rinker of this city, filed an at
tachment against the property of the
Ringling Brothers circus to cover a
damage suit for $25,000 which Mr.
Rinker has against the circus com
pany for injuries which he alleges
were sustained last year in Omaha as
the result of a runaway of one of the
horses belonging to the defendant
ccompany. The representatives of the
circus at once signed up a bond for
$16,000 for their appearance and the
matter will be taken up later in court.
Mr. Rinker was injured a year ago
when the Ringling shows were in
Omaha, when he was standing on the
Street watching the parade." of the
circus and the accident occurred when
one of the horses became frightened
and started to run away, and in so
doing struck Mr. Rinker down, and his
head struck on the curb, and which
later caused paralysis, and for several
weeks his life was despaired of, but
he is now able to be around, but is a
permanent cripple as a result of the
accident and unable to perform labor
of any kind or provide for the care of
his family.
ANOTHER PATENT
ISSUED TO LEE C.
SHARP OF THIS CITY
From Friday's Dally.
A patent issued to Lee C. Sharp of
this city has been transferred, accord
ing to reports from Washington, to
the firm of Bremer & Bruckman of
Brunswick, Germany. This is a patent
for a forming and soldering machine
on which Mr. Sharp has been working
for a long time, and its efficiency and
usefulness has been recognized by
those who have looked the machine
over, but it seems that it is to become
the property of a foreign country and
will be manufactured there. Mr. Sharp
has devoted much time to the work
ing of the machine, and with his
usual skill in this line has turned out
a machine that can meet the require
ments of the trade, and the new form
ing and soldering machine is one that
will be found to be a great improve
ment over other machines of a similar
nature that have been placed on the
market.
SUIT FOR DIVORCE FILED
IN THE DISTRICT COURT
From Fridays Dally.
Yesterday afternoon a suit was filed
is the district court entitled Eugene
R. Warner vs. Nora Warner, and in
which the plaintiff asks that a decree
of divorce be granted to him from the
defendant. The plaintiff, in his peti
tion, states that they were married at
Sturgess, S D., April 27, 1908, and
that the present residence of the de
fendant is unknown, but was last
heard of in Montana. The plaintiff is
a resident of this city and the charges
in the petition is desertion.
Paints and
'Phone 36.
Oils.
Gering & Co.
YOUNG COUPLE
ARE MARRIED IN
FALLS CITY
The Groom a Young Man Born and
Reared in Cass County and
Well Known Here.
From Friday's Dally.
The following from the Falls City
Journal of Wednesday gives an ac
count of the wedding of Mr. Maurice
McHugh and Miss Angela Mead in
that city and will be most interesting,
as the groom is a former Plattsmouth
boy and was born and brought up in
this city, where the news of his mar
riage will be very ' pleasing to his
friends. Mr. and Mrs McHugh have
been spending a part of their honey
moon here at the home of Mr. and
Mrs. Thomas Walling:
A very pretty, quiet wedding was
celebrated this morning at nine
o'clock at St. Peter and Paul's church
when Miss Nina Angela Mead, oldest
daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Cass Mead,
was married to Mr. Maurice McHugh.
The service was read by Father Hoff
man. Special musical numbers were
sung during the service by Miss Irene
Mead, among them the Ava Maria.
The bride wore her going away
gown, a handsome suit of dark brown
broadcloth, with picture hat of white.
Miss Margaret McKeiver and Mr.
Virgie Johnson attended the bride and
groom and the wedding march and
special musical program was played
by Miss Julia Frederick.
After the ceremony a delicious
wedding breakfast of five courses was
served at the Mead home, 20th and
Chase streets. The bridal table was
adorned with a wreath, of smilax and
white roses and dainty appointments.
From the chandelier above a wedding
bell of white flowers was suspended
and ropes of smilax reached to the
corners of the table. The guests were
imited to the closest relatives, the
friends serving during the ceremony
at the church and Father Hoffman.
The house was decorated through
out in white and green with a pro
fusion of cut flowers.
Mrs. McHugh was born and reared
in this city, w;here she is well known
and greatly esteemed by a large cir
cle of friends who admire her for her
many splendid womanly qualities.
Mr. McHugh has lived here for sev
eral years and has made a host of
friends by his manly, straight-for
ward characteristics. The happy couple
have the hearty good wishes of their
many friends.
They left this afternoon for a short
visit in Omaha and will return here to
make their home, Mr. McHugh having
a fine position in the M. P. offices.
DAOLY BITTEN BY LAW
RENCE STULL'S WATCHDOG
From Friday's Dally.
This morning while Byron Arries
was out at the Stull farm inspecting
the wreck he came in contact with a
watchdog belonging to C. L. Stull, and
as a result Byron received a very
severe laceration -on his left leg just
above the knee, where the teeth of the
dog inflicted quite a nasty wound. It
was fortunate that the surgeons from
this city were on the ground, and the
injury was dressed at once by Dr. E.
W. Cook and the young man returned
home with a rather sore limb, but it is
not thought that the wound will result
seriously The dog was watching the
horses of Mr. Stull at the time of the
accident and was very much annoyed
by the large number of people travel
ing through the field where he was
guarding the property of Mr. Stull.
Visitors Come From Union.
From Friday's Dally.
This morning D. B. Porter, C. L.
Graves and W. H. Brown of the Union
Ledger motored up from their homes
in Mr. Porter's new Overland car to
view the wreck, and while here Mr.
Porter called at the Journal office, in
company with Mr. Brown, and renew
ed his subscription to the Semi-Weekly.
Mr. Porter has just returned home
from Minnesota, where he visited with
John Porter, John Snavely and S. W.
Copenhaver, formerly Cass county
citizens.
THAN IN NEBRASKA.
There may be homes as dear,
But none are dearer,
There may be skies as clear,
But none are clearer,
Than in Nebraska.
There may be days as rare,
But none are rarer,
There may be lands as fair,
But none are fairer,
Than in Nebraska.
There may be skies as blue,
But none are bluer,
There may be hearts as true,
But none are truer,
Than in Nebraska.
William Reed Dunroy.
CHARLES D. GRIMES
VISITS OLD FRIENDS
IN PLATTSMOUTH
From Frldav's Dallv.
Charles D. Grimes of Fort Worth,
Texas, was in the city for a few hours
last evening and this morning visiting
with his many old friends and ac
quaintances here in the old home. He
is en route home from a short vaca
tion trip east, in which he visited at
New York City, Buffalo, Cleveland and
Chicago, and while in Cleveland was
a guest at the home of Mr. and Mr.?.
J. A. Gutsche, where they are now
living. Charley is engaged in the l ail
road business and this is the first tin-e
in three years that he has been able
to get up north to see the old hortie,
and while the visit here was limited to
hours, it was one much enjoyed, and
meeting the old acquaintances v.as a
most pleasant occasion.
JOHN A. GUTSCHE,
FORMER CITIZEN, MAK
ING GOOD SHOWING
From Friday's Daily. . .
One of Plattsmouth s lormer citi
zens who is making a most notable
showine in the big world outside is
John A. Gutsche, who was for several
ears foreman of the Burlington brass
foundry, and for two years mayor of
this city. Mr. Gutsche is at present
superintendent of foundries of the
New York Central lines and has a
splendid position, with the full super
vision of this line of work, in which he
is most proficient. He, with his fam
ily, left Plattsmouth thirteen years
ago, going to Schenectady, New
York, where he remained for some
time until the Lake Shore and Michi
gangan Southern opened a new foun
dry at Collinwood, Ohio, a suburb of
Cleveland, and he was transferred to
that place to take full charge. After
declining several offers from private
corporations, he was made superin
tendent of foundries and placed in
charge of all foundries on the system
with headquarters at Cleveland. He
has built himself an elegant home in
the Ohio city and here the family are
enjoying themselves in their well de
served success, and both Mr. and Mrs.
Gutsche are lovers of Cleveland and
delighted with their surroundings. Mr.
Gutsche's sons-in-law, Messrs. Hugh
Roberts and McFadden, with their
families, are also living at Cleveland
and doing very nicely in their new
home. The success of this worthy fam
ily will be most pleasing to their
friends in this city, and it is to be
hoped that they will live long to enjoy
their happiness.
DEATH OF FORMER LADY
RESIDENT OF THIS CITY
From Friday's Daily. .
Friends in this city have received
word of the death of Mrs. Dora
Shramm, which occurred September
13th. Mrs. Shramm was a former resi
dent of this city and at the time she
resided here made her home with Mrs.
Peter Mumm on Vine street. Mrs.
Shramm was a dressmaker and at the
time she resided here was engaged in
this work. Those who remember Mrs.
Shramm and who knew her at the
time she made her home here, will re
gret to learn of her death.
Read the want ads in the Journal.
V.B. WISE, FORMER
PLATTSMOUTH PRINT
ER, HERE VISITING
From Frldvs Dallv.
Willard B. Wise of Price, Utah, a
former Plattsmouth man, accompanied
by his sister, Mrs. Jesse L. Root, of
Omaha, was in the city today for a
few hours visiting with friends and re
newing old acquaintances. This is the
first time in several years that Mr.
Wise has been here in the old home,
where his parents, Mr. and Mrs. J. N.
Wise, made their home for years, and
his appearance was the source of
much pleasure to his old friends. Mr.
Wise is engaged in the newspaper
business at Price, and was formerly
with W. C. Benfer, also an old Platts
mouth newspaper man, there, and is
meeting with much success in the new
location. Mr. Wise has been east on
a trip to Chicago and also at Kansas
City with his relatives, and enjoys
very much meeting the old familiar
faces of those with whom he spent so
many happy years. He departed this
afternoon for Omaha and will leave
from there for his home in the west.
While here Mr. Wise was a caller at
the Journal office and noted the
changes that have occurred since he
was one of the force handling the
work of this paper.
TRESPASSING AC
CIDENTS 60 PER CENT
OF ALL FATALITIES
From Friday's Daily.
Accidents to trespassers on rail
ways are increasing so much faster
than accidents to other persons that
in the last six months for which the
statistics are available the number of
trespassers killed amounted to nearly
GO per cent of the total number of
persons killed by railways. For the
preceding ten years fatalities to tres
passers had constituted only 53 per
cent of the total.
These facts are brought out by the
Railway Age Gazette in an analysis
of the accident bulletin just issued
by the interstate commerce commis
sion for January, February and March
of this year, together with the bulletin
for the preceding quarter. During the
same period only two passengers were
killed in collisions. In other words,
the chances of an accident of this
kind were so small that the average
passenger could travel continuously
at a speed of sixty miles per hour for
16,770 years before meeting death in
a collision.
LET'S PREPARE FOR
A "HOME COMING
DAY" NEXT SEASON
Since, the report of the amusement
committee of the Commercial club a
few days ago, giving a total of their
receipts and expenditures, there has
been turned over to them the sum of
$14.20 from the Burlington shop boys,
as well as $2 from Dr. Livingston,
which, is to be added to the $36.43 bal
ance on hand and applied in the work
of the committee during the coming
season. Now that the cool weather is
here and the work of conducting any
open air amusements is out of ques
tion, it will be a mighty fine time to
start in to plan for the work next sea
son and to prepare a program of
special events for next summer and to
fully discuss and determine the prac
tical ideas of a home-coming day for
the former residents of this city and
county. It is well worth considering
and the Commercial club and citizens
should get busy without delay.
Returns From Arkansas.
This morning Grovernor Knapp and
daughter, Mrs. W. K. Fox, came in
from Monticello, Arkansas, where they
have been residing on the farm of Mr.
napp, near that city and will remain
i this city, as Mr. Knapp has rented
his farm. They have been in Arkan
sas for the past ten months and are
well pleased with the country there,
but enjoy very much being back in
Nebraska.
RAYMOND MAUR
ER ACCIDENTALLY
SHOT AND KILLED
While Taking Gun From Boat Trigger
Strikes Seat of the Boat and
Both Loads Discharged.
A tragedy came yesterday to mar
the peace of the Sabbath day, when
Raymond Maurer was accidentally
shot and killed yesterday morning
when returning from a hunting trip
on the Missouri river. Young Maurer,
in company with Harry Forbes, had
been out on the river for several hours
and shortly after 10 o'clock came in
their boat to the landing near the
Burlington bridge, where the accident
that resulted so seriously took place,
and which resulted in the almost in
stant death of Maurer.
The boys had made their landing all
right and Harry was in one end of the
boat stooped over adjusting some of
the equipment when the accident oc
curred, and was not aware of the
danger of his companion until the re
port of the discharged gun came to
his ears. Maurer took hold of the two
shotguns by the barrels and started
to drag them after him, when the
trigger or hammer of his gun caught
on the seat of the boat and in an in
stant was discharged and the charge
from the gun buried itself in the left
breast cf the young man, inflicting a
fatal wound. As the gun was dis
charged the palm of the left hand
which was holding the gun barrel was
torn off and the discharge, following
the left arm, lodged in the breast and
tore into the lungs of the young r.ian.
As soon as the accident occurred
help wts summoned and Raymc.nd
hurried to the city, but before they
could reach the Burlington station
with the injured boy he died from the
effect of his injuries and was taken to
the Straight undertaking establish
ment to be prepared for burial.
The ictim of this most regrettable
tragedy was the youngest son of Mr.
and Mrs. John Maurer, who reside
south of this city on a farm, and he
had spent a greater part of his nine
teen years in this locality with the ex
ception of a few years in New Mexico,
where the family resided on a ranch,
and he was a young man to whom hi
associates were warmly attached, and
to his friends the news of hi death
was a most profound frhock, as it
came without warning, and in its
sharpness was stunning, as he had
been so full of life and fun when de
parting on the trip.- and to return
home cold and still, the victim of the
most distressing accident. It is
thought that the boy, supposing the
guns to be empty, had not watched
closely when taking them from the
boat, and as a result was caught un
awares when the gun poured forth its
leaden message of death.
Besides the parents the unfortunate
young man leaves three brothers, Ed
ward, John and Eugene, all of this
city, and one sister. Miss Lottie
Maurer, of Glenwood, to mourn his
untimely death.
The funeral services will be held to
morrow (Tuesday) afternoon at 2:3
o'clock at the home of his brother, Ed
Maurer, in South Park.
AID SOCIETY PLEAS
ANTLY ENTERTAINED
AT CHURCH PARLORS
From Friday's Dally.
The Ladies' Aid society of the M.
E. church and their friends were very
pleasantly entertained in the church
parlors yesterday afternoon, Mesades
Brady being the hostesses on this oc
casion. The ladies held their regular
business session, at which time
various plans and the work of the so
ciety were discussed. After the busi
ness session the ladies spent- some
very happy moments with their fancy
work and in conversation. At the pro
per time dainty refreshments were
provided by the hostesses, which were
likewise most thoroughly enjoyed. On
their departure the ladies declared the
hostesses to be splendid entertainers
and were very much indebted to thm
for the delightful afternoon.
