John G. Rosser 1848 - 1895

ROSSER

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 3/22/2021 at 15:38:24

Source: Decorah Republican Sept. 12, 1895 P 3 C 4, 5

Shocking Accident and Death.
Oelwein Register:—One of the oldest engineers, in point of service, John G. Rosser, having been in the employ of the C. G. W. ever since it started, met his death in a shocking manner at Dubuque about ten o’clock Sunday night. Mr. Rosser has a passenger run between Dubuque and Elma, and had left home to go out on his run, which leaves the Great Western shops at Dubuque, a little before 12 o’clock, and had walked over to the street car track with the evident intention of boarding a north bound ear. The car approaching at that time contained two passengers. As it passed out of the switch the motorneer felt a jar as though the trolley had been thrown off and went back through the car to adjust it, when he saw the man’s body lying along side of the track. It was not known who he was when they picked him up as his head was crushed into a jelly and nearly severed from his body, and every bone in his right arm from the elbow down to the fingers had been crushed. The most reasonable theory advanced as to how the accident occurred is that he attempted to board the car, but missed his footing and fell in front of the wheels of the moving car* and, as he weighed over 200 pounds, he was unable to extricate himself from the perilous position in time to avert the accident.

Transcriber's Note: Find a Grave shows he was born Oct. 7, 1848 and died Sept. 1, 1895. He is buried in the Peota Union Cemetery.