THOMAS, Henry G. 1818 - 1876

THOMAS

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 11/17/2010 at 18:46:41

"The Fairfield Ledger", Thursday, October 19, 1876

CRUSHED TO DEATH.

How a Prominent Farmer of Jefferson County came to a sad end.

Early Saturday morning our reporter hurried to the C., B. & Q. Depot, to ascertain particulars of the killing of a man by the Ottumwa express. It was too early for the usual crowd which is always present at the scene of a horrible accident, and all that indicated anything wrong was a group or two of men conversing in unusually low tones as if something terrible had happened. Looking up the track perhaps 50 feet from the depot we beheld the mangled body of the unfortunate man lying just off the rails in the position he was thrown by the heavy wheels of the cars. The mutilated corpse bore little resemblance to the living man, and recognition would have been impossible--he had been literally cut to pieces by the ponderous weight of the passing train. It was a sad sight, and one we shudder at the thought of witnessing again.

The dead man's name was H. G. THOMAS, and for over 21 years he had been one of our energetic and wealthy farmers, a man whom all respected. Several weeks ago he first showed indications of insanity, and on Friday last was examined by the Insane Commission for admission to the Asylum at Mt. Pleasant. During this examination he admitted that he was not all right, but thought that a rest from business, such as he would get at the Asylum, would prove of great benefit to him. Saturday morning, in charge of his son Wilson, he went to the depot to take the train. While his son was in the office purchasing tickets he was wandering around the depot, and when the train came in he rushed wildly toward it, and finally threw himself between the cars. The first time he was hurled violently from the track, but rose up immediately and threw himself under the wheels of another car, and was dragged several feet before any assistance could reach him. His death was immediate, as his body was severed near the waist. Below we give the testimony before and the verdict of the coroner's jury:

Wilson THOMAS, being sworn, says: I brought my father, H. G. THOMAS, from home, in Jefferson county, Iowa, last evening (Friday)--he was insane--to take him to the Insane Asylym at Mt. Pleasant, brought him to Fairfield. This morning while I was in the office to procure tickets I left him on the platform.-- A train was coming in from the west, when my father jumped from the platform under the train and was killed by it. It was the center of the train struck him.
- Wilson THOMAS
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J. E. McClurg, being sworn, says: I was standing on the platform at the B. & M. Depot this morning when the accommodation freight was coming in from the west, a little after six o'clock. I saw a man west of the platform on the ground making motions as though he wanted to get on the train or under it. His motions were singular, and he seemed to wish to go between the cars or throw himself under them. I saw his son standing about ten feet from him and pull him from under the train. -J. E. McClurg
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STATE OF IOWA, JEFFERSON CO., as:
An inquest holden at the depot of the B. & M. railroad, in Fairfield, Jefferson county, State of Iowa, on the 14th day of October, A.D. 1876, before Thos. D. Evans, Coroner of said county, upon the body of H. G. THOMAS, there lying dead by the persons whose names are hereto subscribed. The jurors, upon their oaths, do say that the said H. G. THOMAS came to his death, and was killed by throwing himself under an accommodation or freight train which was coming in from the west, he being at the time insane and on his way to the Insane Asylum at Mt. Pleasant in charge of his son.

In testimony whereof the said persons hereto set their hands the day first above written.

C.T. SHAMP,
H. VOTE,
THOMAS FOGARTY.

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"The Fairfield Tribune"
Thursday, February 23, 1882
Page 3, Column 6

BLACK HAWK.... The remains of Henry G. THOMAS have been taken up from the Blue Point cemetery in Black Hawk township and interred in Evergreen Cemetery at Fairfield. The difficult task was done by Wm. Lock, Sam. Dizert (sic - Dysert), and Montie Chandler on Thursday of last week.

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Note: Buried in lot Old.P.333. He was survived by his wife, Lydia A. DAY THOMAS, and at least one child, Wilson, noted above. Lydia's obituary in 1906 notes five children.

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I am not related to the person(s) mentioned.