James Smiley (1884)

GASKEL, SMILEY

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 9/30/2007 at 08:34:51

Winterset Madisonian & Chronicle
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, May 8, 1884
Page 4

SAD ACCIDENT.

James Smiley Run Over by the Cars and instantly Killed.

On last Thursday morning about nine o'clock an extra train left Winterset for Des Moines. When near the road known as the Porter crossing the engineer discovered a man on the track and noticing that he did not appear to pay any attention to the train he blew the whistle, still thinking the man would step off in due time. When the train was near upon him the engineer, reversed the engine but it was too late, the engine striking him before the train could be stopped.

The man was Mr. James Smiley, who lived in Mr. Munger's house near by and as most of our readers know was almost totally deaf. It seems that Mr. Smiley had been plowing in a field near the track and becoming chilled went to the house for a blanket to throw over his shoulders, and was returning to the field at the time of the accident.

On being struck by the engine the unfortunate man was thrown backward on the pilot and then fell off to one side the feet being thrown upward and on a bank while the head rested in a ditch near the track. The train was immediately stopped but before the train men reached the victim, life was extinct. The lifeless body was taken to Patterson where it was transferred to the train coming west and by it brought to Winterset. Coroner Debord was notified and arriving here summoned A. Patterson, H. Gratner, and W. Kennedy as a jury and proceeded to hold an inquest. After the examination of witnesses and hearing the evidence of experts the jury rendered a verdict to the effect that the said James Smiley came to his death by being struck by a locomotive on the Rock Island Road near the crossing, some few miles east of Winterset and without negligence on the part of the railroad company or its employes.

For some time prior to the accident Mr. Smiley had been living alone and none of his relatives were near by. His former wife lives somewhere in Pottawattamie or Cass county. His son Robert has not been heard from for several years and no one seems to know where he is. A daughter, the wife of John Gaskel, resides near Bevington. Mr. Gaskel and wife were notified, and were at the funeral which occurred on Friday.