Tom Nicholl (1897)

NICHOLL

Posted By: Treva Patterson (email)
Date: 8/12/2007 at 13:01:19

Winterset Madisonian-Winterset, Iowa
July 21, 1897

About 10 o'clock this morning an accident occurred on the Tracy farm, 4 miles west of town, that caused almost instant death to Tom Nicholl, a 16 year old lad working on the place. He was a son of James Nicholl who lives at St. Mary's in Warren County.
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Winterset Reporter – July 22, 1897

Pg 5

A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.

Thomas Nichols Killed by a Runaway.

A horrible accident happened at the A. J. Tracy farm five miles west of town yesterday (Wednesday) morning, in which Thomas Nichols, a boy 16 years old, son of James Nichols of St. Marys, lost his life. Tom and his older brother were hitching up a team to a binder, preparatory to going to work. Tom was in front of the sickle bar when the team became frightened and started to run. He was caught by the sickle and dragged about one hundred yards. When his brother picked him up he was unconscious and his left leg was severed from his body, all but the tendons of a muscle. He was taken to Mr. Tracy’s and regained consciousness before he died. Drs. Nelson and Robt. Davisson were sent for, but when they arrived the young man was dead, having lived only an hour after the accident happened. His parents Mrs. And Mrs. Jas. Nichols, live at St. Marys, Warren county, and they were immediately notified of the very sad affair.
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Winterset Madisonian – July 21, 1897

Pg 4

BOY KILLED BY A BINDER.

Terrible Accident this Morning by which a Young Man Loses His Life.

About ten o’clock this morning an accident occurred on the Tracy farm four miles west of town that caused almost instant death to Tom Nicholl, a sixteen-year-old lad who was working on the place.

He and his brother were preparing to cut grain with a binder, had the team hitched and were adjusting the canvas on the machine. The young man was standing in front of the sickle bar with the machine in gear. The team, a pair of run-away brutes, started to run and the young man was caught on the guards in the fleshy part of the left leg about midway between the knee and the hip.

The horses ran in a circle about the field and dragged the unfortunate boy fully one hundred yards. The sickle with its rapid motion did terrible work, cutting through the flesh and hacking the bone completely in two. When at last, the brutes stopped only a portion of flesh held the severed limb.

The young man spoke several times, but died in about a half hour from loss of blood. Drs. Davisson and Nelson were called, but arrived to late.

He was a son of James Nicholl who lives at St. Mary, in Warren county, and he and his brother were running the farm west of town. A message was dispatched to his parents immediately after the accident and before he died.