FLYING CLAY FRAGMENT KILLED BOY BLASTING

RICH, ABRAHAM, LEICHTMAN

Posted By: Mary Durr (email)
Date: 2/7/2008 at 16:27:37

FLYING CLAY FRAGMENT KILLED BOY BLASTING

A flying bit of frozen earth dealt death to Clarence Rich, stump dynamiter, at the old Leichtman farm 3 1/2 miles northeast of New Hampton Monday morning at 10 o'clock.

The missile traveled 120 feet and hit Rich on the temple. When his companion, Fred Abraham, reached him from a distance of a few steps, he gasped two or three times and was still. There was practically no abrasion, only a dent in the skull, and death was due to concussion and hemorrhage.

Rich and Abraham had set a charge of dynamite under a stump and had retired to what they supposed was a safe distance. Rich was apparently the more apprehensive, for he chose a place behind a tree while Abraham remained in the open. Abraham saw the fatal lump coming their way and dodged out of its path behind a pile of brush. At that instant Rich peered out from behind the tree, his head directly in the path of the speeding ball of frozen clay.

Rich was 23 years old and single. He came here to work with Mr. Abraham, who also formerly lived at Mr. (sic) Pleasant and was employed by the Collins Mortgage Co., of Cedar Rapids to clean up the farm and look (here the paper is gone) ......New Hampton Gazette.

Postville Herald newspaper clipping, hand dated December 20, 1928, from my mother's obituary collection.
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