INQUEST of the DEATH of LOU GREEN

GREEN

Posted By: Volunteer (email)
Date: 3/6/2019 at 08:12:58

Leon Reporter
Leon, Decatur County, Iowa
Thursday, July 16, 1903

At an Inquest Held at Ven Wert the Jury Found that the Death of Lou Green was Accidental.

LOU GREEN, the C.B. & Q. brakeman who lost his life on Tuesday afternoon of last week by falling under the cars near the coal chute at Van Wert, was 35 years old and resided with his parents [Allen James & Adaline Green] at Des Moines. His wife eloped with another man going to Kansas City a few weeks ago.He was a young man of good habits, well liked by the company and his fellow employees. No one saw the accident but he was heard to fall by the other brakeman who was only a few car lengths away. The train was in charge of Conducter E.L. Britton, and Engineer Bob Logan and was being backed into the depot. It is supposed when the train was cut in two, GREEN fell between the cars and several passed over him, both legs being almost cut off, his head badly cut and one arm broken, and he died about five minutes after the accident happened.

Justice I.N. Skidmore acting as Coroner, held an inquest, the jury consisting of E.J. Blair, J.E. Rushing and Phil Lantz returning the following verdict:

State of Iowa,
Decatur County, }ss:

An inquisition holden at Van Wert, in the County of Decatur, State of Iowa, on the 7th day of July, 1903, before I.N. Skidmore, acting Coroner for the said County, upon the body of LOU GREEN, there lying dead, by the jurors, whose names are hereunto subscribed. The said jurors, upon their oath, do say that LOU GREEN, the deceased, came to his death by accidentally falling into the space or opening of the parting train and being crushed by the car wheels; also the said jurors find no felonious intent.

In testimony whereof, the said jurors have hereunto set their hands, the day and year aforesaid.

(Signed) E.J. BLAIR,
J.E. RUSHING,
P.F. LANTZ,
Jurors.
[NOTE: Lou was interred at Woodland Cemetery, Des Moines, Iowa. His epitaph reads: "A precious one from us has gone; A voice we loved is stilled; A place is vacant in our home; Which never can be filled." An Odd Fellows insigna is engraved on his gravestone.]

Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert
"With permission from the Leon Journal Reporter"
March 15, 2003