KARNS, Mert

KARNS

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 3/21/2006 at 21:08:29

"The Oswego Independent", Oswego, Kansas, 7 July 1899

KILLED BY THE CARS. Mert KARNS, and employee of the Oswego Milling Company, was run over by a box car on the Frisco (St. Louis and San Francisco RR) last Saturday morning about 9:30 and received injuries which resulted in his death at one o'clock Sunday morning following...

The circumstances under which the distressing accident occurred seem to be as follows: KARNS was sent up town to have a piece of machinery fixed by the blacksmiths. He took the south track and started towards the depot. A freight crew was setting some cars on the same track for use of the mill, and the engine was pushing several cars toward the mill. KARNS was walking with his eyes on the ground, apparently in a study. The engine switching was not ringing its bell, and no brakeman was on the rear car or in sight, according to the story of Byron White and Clint Jones, who were looking out of a window at KARNS as he started up the track. A freight from the west was also pulling in. Jones saw KARNS' danger and yelled to him. KARNS heard, looked over his shoulder toward the mill, and instinctively saw his danger at the same time... It was over in a second... Mert was 20 years old and was a faithful hardworking boy, and was devoted to his mother and sister. His brother, James, is manager of the mill.... The interment took place in the Montana Cemetery, Sunday afternoon.

(From "A Branch of the KARNS Family".)

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s).