Lydon, Mattie 1904 - 1916

LYDON

Posted By: Janice Sowers (email)
Date: 12/31/2006 at 13:39:40

Lime Springs Sun Herald April 27, 1916

BOY KILLED BY LIGHTNING

Mattie Lydon, aged about 12 years, son of Mr. and Mrs. M. P. Lydon, was instantly killed about five o'clock on Wednesday afternoon by a heavy bolt of lightning which struck the barn at which were he and a younger brother and a hired man, Hugh Malone. The brother was badly burned from his breast to his instep where the lightning broke a hole in his rubberboot, and with the exception of the burns escaped uninjured. Malone was upstairs in the barn and was knocked down by the shock but was uninjured.

The funeral of the little boy will be held on Saturday morning at 9:30 at the Church of the Assumption. (Cresco)

Besides the loss of Mattie, Mr. and Mrs. Lydon were called upon but a few months ago to part with another little boy and in their bereavement the family have the sincere sympathy of the community.

The barn was badly splintered and a six-year-old Percherion stallion was killed.

The same bolt which caused the disaster at the Lydon home followed the telephone wire into the W. B. Perry home badly shocking his daughter Bessie who had been called to the phone by her father just previous to the storm, the bolt being the first one of the storm. At noon the following day she had no use of the arm but will doubtless gradually recover from the shock. Plain Dealer