GAUMER, James Buchanan 1857 - 1906

GAUMER, BALES, PENCE

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 10/1/2023 at 20:03:39

"The Fairfield Daily Journal"
Tuesday, March 13, 1906
Page 2, Column 2

MEETS DEATH BETWEEN CARS

James GAUMER Meets Instant Death In the Yards of the Burlington.

Great excitement was felt in our city today about 11 o'clock, when it was reported that James GAUMER had his life crushed out between two cars in the "Q" yards, by a fatal accident in switching.

Mr. GAUMER was not working but was at the elevator, wheresome parties (sic) were loading some cars and were in the act of moving a car along the switch, when he was called to help them, taking the position in front of the bumpers to aid in pushing it up the track, at that moment engine No. 92 was pushing in on the switch unnoticed by them and came down upon them to transfer some cars, when the car was struck, pushing Mr. GAUMER between the two cars, catching him about the chest and completely crushing his ribs and backbone which caused instant death(.)

The body was immediately taken in charge by Coroner A. S. Hague and jury impaneled, consisting of R. C. Sayers, C. U. Emery and Sanford Zigler, who after the examination of a number of witnesses, returned a verdict that "James GAUMER came to his death by accidently being caught between two cars in the C. B. & Q. switching yards near the C. B. & Q. elevator in Fairfield, Iowa, on the 13 day of March, 1906."

He leaves a wife and five children to mourn his departure.

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"The Fairfield Journal"
Weekly, Wednesday, March 14, 1906
Front Page, Column 5

MEETS DEATH BETWEEN CARS

James GAUMER Meets Instant Death In the Yards of the Burlington.

Great excitement was felt in our city today about 11 o'clock, when it was reported that James GAUMER had his life crushed out between two cars in the "Q" yards, by a fatal accident in switching.

Mr. GAUMER was not working but was at the elevator, where some parties were loading some cars and were in the act of moving a car along the switch, when he was called to help them, taking the position in front of the bumpers to aid in pushing it up the track, at that moment engine No. 92 was pushing in on the switch unnoticed by them and came down upon them to transfer some cars, when the car was struck, pushing Mr. GAUMER between the two cars, catching him about the chest and completely crushing his ribs and backbone which caused instant death(.)

The body was immediately taken in charge by Coroner A. S. Hague and jury impaneled, consisting of R. C. Sayers, C. U. Emery and Sanford Zigler, who after the examination of a number of witnesses, returned a verdict that "James GAUMER came to his death by accidently being caught between two cars in the C. B. & Q. switching yards near the C. B. & Q. elevator in Fairfield, Iowa, on the 13 day of March, 1906."

He leaves a wife and five children to mourn his departure.

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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Wednesday, March 14, 1906
Page 6, Column 3

CRUSHED BY THE CARS.

James B. GAUMER Meets Instant Death in the Burlington Yards.

James B. GAUMER, well known in this city, met instant death in the Burlington railway yards in this city yesterday morning about 10:40. J. E. Famulener and others were loading cars with household goods from the Zeigler elevator. One of the cars had to be shifted to get it to a more accessible place, and Mr. GAUMER volunteered his services in the work. While he was standing between the rails an engine which was switching in the yards pushed two cars against this one with considerable force. Mr. GAUMER was caught between the bumpers and crushed to death. His body was held so firmly that the engineer was compelled to move these cars before it could be extricated.

Coroner A. S. Hague held an inquest on the body shortly after the accident, with R. C. Sayers, C. U. Emry and Sanford Zeigler as jurors. He had before him as witnesses J. E. Famulener, Edward Byard, William Leathers, Pleasant Stewart and J. E. Overholser, who were working about the cars in question, and H. O. Bone, conductor, William Maxwell, engineer, G. M. Duncan, fireman, H. E. Stewart, L. Ashway and W. W. Babb, brakemen, of the train which was doing the switching. The men employed in loading the cars did not seem to have noticed that there was an engine in the yards, while the trainmen had no knowledge that the other parties were there. It appears to have been a case where slight precaution on the part of either might have saved a life. The jury returned a verdict which says that GAUMER came to his death "accidentally, being crushed between two cars" in the C., B. & Q. switchyards.

Mr. GAUMER was forty-nine (sic - 48) years of age. He was a native of Pennsylvania and has been a resident of this city about twenty years. His wife, formerly Anna BALES, with six children, survives him. One daughter, Mrs. J. W. PENCE, resides at Keokuk, while the others are still at home. Mr. GAUMER had been employed in various capacities in this city and had a wide acquaintance. Within that circle are many friends who will regret his death, while the sympathy of the entire community will go out the stricken wife and children.

Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock at the home.

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"Jefferson County Republican"
Fairfield, Iowa, Friday, March 16, 1906
Front Page, Column 2

James GAUMER Killed.

Tuesday morning while James GAUMER with several other men was pushing an empty box car on to the side track in the C. B. & Q. yard, up to Zizler's (sic) elevator to be loaded with household goods to be shipped to Canada. He was in the middle of the track and was pushing on the coupling, when an engine unnoticed by them shoved another car up, and he was caught between the bumper and crushed to death and carried some distance with his feet dragging on the ground. The other men managed to make their escape. This is certainly a very sad death and a great loss to his family. He leaves a wife and six children. The sympathy of all goes out to the family. He is spoken of as an honest, hard-working man. The coroner's inquest verdict was given as accidental death. The funeral services were held from the residence on West Lowe street, yesterday afternoon at 2 o'clock.

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"The Fairfield Ledger"
Wednesday, March 28, 1906
Page 6, Column 3

LOCAL MISCELLANY.

TOWN AND COUNTY.

... Clerk Lucas has appointed Sanford Zeigler administrator of the estate of James B. GAUMER, deceased, and the will of William Pickering has been filed for probate in his office. ...

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"The Fairfield Daily Journal"
Fairfield, Iowa, Monday, May 7, 1906
Page 4, Column 2

MARCH'S COUNTY HISTORY.

Summary of March's History as Read Before Historical Association. ...

... The chapter of accidents began with the sad death of James GAUMER. He was struck by a Burlington freight train, while gratuitously and kindly assisting some men to push a car to a shute to be loaded at Fairfield. ...

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

Note: Buried in Evergreen Cemetery, Fairfield, IA, in Lot 1st.012. Wife Anna Viloma BALES GAUMER died in 1915 and was buried with him. James was born September 4, 1857.