Neal Conroy (1858-1911)
CONROY
Posted By: CJeanealogy (email)
Date: 6/9/2022 at 21:28:37
Friday June 30, 1911 Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette
NEAL CONROY IS ENGINE VICTIM
LOCAL CHARACTER KILLED LATE LAST NIGHT.
Conroy Had Evidently Fallen Asleep on the Rails--Was a Hard Drinker--Leaves No Known Relatives.
While lying on the tracks 160 feet south of the Sixth avenue and Fourth street railroad crossing, Neal Conroy, a local character who lost his only relative though kidnappers, was mangled under the wheels of Rock Island switch engine No. 187 last night about eleven o'clock. Death was instantaneous.
The switch engine in charge of Foreman Chas. Miller, Engineer G.R. DeVault, Fireman C.C. Grothe, and Brakemen W.D. Stillion and Geo. Kern, was on its way from the new Rock Island freight depot to the yards. Brakeman Stillman was standing on the step in front of the engine, and as the locomotive neared Sixth avenue, he caught sight of a man lying on the tracks. Stillman gave the danger signal, and Engineer DeVault stopped and put on the brakes. It was too late, however, for when the locomotive came to a standstill, the crew found a body severed through the abdomen by the two front drivers of the engine.
Investigation showed that the man evidently had been caught by the cylinder ??? and was dragged under the wheels by the engine. Also it is believed that the unfortunate man had tried to catch hold of the ties as he was being dragged for a distance of about thirty feet.
The police and the acting coroner, Justice Nugent, were called, and the body was conveyed to Beatty's undertaking establishment. A memorandum book found in t he dead man's clothing revealed his identity. In it was written, "Neal Conroy left $6.00 here for safe keeping." This was signed by Jos. Horak. In the clothing also were found a new razor, $1.20 in change, a pair of steel rimmed spectacles and pocket comb advertising a real estate firm in Kimball, S.D.
Frank Horak was called and he recognized the body as that of Neal Conroy, a local character. Mr. Horak stated that Conroy had been in his saloon, 22? North First street, last evening and that he (Conroy) was intoxicated and asked to leave $6.00 with Mr. Horak.
Early this morning, Mrs. Chas. Stine, 816 South Fourth street, called at the Beatty establishment. She recognized Neal Conroy and stated that he had boarded with her for the past year. She states that Conroy was about 52 years of age, and that he has not a known relative in the world.
Conroy was born in New York and often told that his only brother was kidnapped at a young age and that he never heard of the brother since. Conroy lived in Cedar Rapids for many years, and for a long time was employed as cooper at the Douglas & Co. starch works. Lately however, he worked with Chas. Stine at gathering clam shells out of the Cedar river for a button factory at Muscatine, and he and Mr. Stine shipped a carload of shells Wednesday.
Mrs. Stine stated that Conroy spoke of being married three times. Two of the wives died and the last wife was divorced and is now married to another man.
It is said that Conroy was often intoxicated, and when under the influence of liquor he would lie on the ground or anywhere else, to sleep. It is likely he was sleeping on the tracks at Fourth street when he was run over last night. Mrs. Stine states that Conroy left her home Wednesday morning and that she had not seen or heard of him until after the accident which caused his death.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/240476171
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