Bicknell, Lester W. 1869-1910

BICKNELL, RANDALL, BLACKWOOD, WHEATCRAFT

Posted By: Barb Hoover (email)
Date: 7/29/2006 at 20:15:47

Newton (IA) Daily News, May, 1910

Many Newton people will remember Lester W. Bicknell, son of John W. and Linda Blackwood Bicknell, who moved from here some years ago, to Oskaloosa, and will be shocked to learn of his mysterious and shocking death, which occurred in Dallas, Texas, on the night of May 3d. The Dallas (Texas) Morning News of May 4th gives the following account of the finding of Lester’s dead body in a box car, in the freight yards at that place, the evening before:

“With his head and the upper part of the body covered with blood, a man believed to be L. W. Bicknell, of Oskaloosa, Iowa, was found in a dying condition in an empty box car in the Missouri, Kansas and Texas freight yards at 11:20 last night. Death occurred within two minutes after officers, who had been called, arrived. When found, blood was flowing from both ears and the mouth and the head was lying in a pool of warm blood. A brakeman at work in the yards discovered the man when he passed the box car. One foot hung out of the door, and an investigation led to a disclosure of the man’s condition. The car in which the body was found on track No. 2, between the Dallas Brewery and the electric light plant, and had, it is said by railroad men, been in that position all of yesterday. After the man’s death the car was switched to the depot and the body removed. An examination of the body at the Weiland & McCreary undertaking establishment failed to disclose any external injury further than a slight bruise beneath the right ear. A large amount of blood had been lost. The body was that of a man apparently 45 years old weighed about 225 pounds. It was well dressed in a black suit. A search of the pockets failed to reveal any articles except a few papers. One of these was a card showing the L. W. Bicknell was a member of the Owls at Oskaloosa, Iowa, and another showed that L. W. Bicknell belonged to the Harness Makers’ Union.”

It will probably never be known just how Lester met his death. The body was brought to Oskaloosa and taken to the home of his mother, where funeral services were held Monday afternoon, May 8th, conducted by the Christian minister, members of the Harness Makers’ Union acting as pall bearers and escort. Lester’s uncles, John and L. A. Blackwood and his cousin, O. S. Wheatcraft and wife of this city attended the funeral.

Lester is survived by his wife and one child – who have been making their home with his mother. His father, John W. Bicknell, has been dead for many years, and his mother is now Mrs. Linda Randall, living in Oskaloosa. Lester was born in Newton in 1869 and at the time of his death his age was 41 years, 6 months, and 15 days. His life, up to young manhood, was all spent in this city, where he learned his trade as harnessmaker with the late Jack Osborn, and afterward was employed with Racy Townsend and other local shops. His mysterious death is a great shock to his mother, brother Frank Bicknell, and other kindred.