Percifield, Earle died 1915

PERCIFIELD

Posted By: Sharyl Ferrall - IAGenWeb volunteer
Date: 6/24/2013 at 20:36:30

Earle Percifield, aged 17, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Scott Percifield of this city and his cousin, Will Percifield, aged 20, left Postville last Friday on a Milwaukee freight bound for Aurora, Ill. About 3:00 a.m. Saturday the freight pulled in on the siding at Galena, Ill., to let the fast mail go by. At this point the siding and main line run very close to each other. The morning was foggy, and as the freight came to a stop the boys got off the train to stretch themselves, not realizing the peril they incurred in doing so.

They had little more than set foot on the ground when the limited shot by at a terrific speed, the suction of the train drawing them beneath the wheels, killing Earle outright and fearfully mutilating his body, while Will was crippled for life, all the toes being cut off his right foot and three toes off his left and he was otherwise bruised.

Will was promptly hurried to Finley Hospital in Dubuque, where he now is, and is getting along as well as possible. Although in a dazed condition he was able to give his name and say he was from Postville. Mr. Percifeld (sic) was at once notified and left on the noon train Saturday for Dubuque expecting to find that it was his own son. On arriving there he learned that another boy had been killed at the same time Will had been injured and was about to be buried at Galena.

The authorities were at once notified to postpone burial, while Mr. Percifield hurried on to find that it was his own boy that had met so fearful a fate. The reason word of Earle's death was not sent here was owing to mistaken identity under the following circumstances:

A few weeks ago a tent theater exhibited here and one of the employes lost a vest pocket memorandum which Earle found the following day and stuck in his pocket. The book contained the address of a party in the state of Vermont, and a telegram to that address brought the answer the family was too poor to pay the cost of transportation and to bury him there. Hence the misfortune of poverty is all the reason Mr. Percifield had the opportunity to identify and bury his son.

Mr. Percifield accompanied [the body] home on the early morning train Monday and at three o'clock that afternoon the funeral was held from the home, conducted by Rev. W.R. Mellott of the Methodist church. Interment in the Postville cemetery.

The floral offerings were profuse and beautiful, it requiring the services of about fifteen boys and girls to convey them to the cemetery.

The tenderest sympathy of all goes out to the bereaved family in their time of affliction under circumstances particularly sad.

In this connection the family wish to extend their heartfelt thanks to the many friends and neighbors for their kindly acts and comforting words in their hour of great sorrow.

~Postville Review, August 3, 1915

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The Milwaukee railroad has paid Scott Percifield $500 in settlement for the death of his son, and has promised to give Percifield's nephew a lifetime job.

~Iowa Volksblatt, Friday, October 22, 1915