John Floyd McKee (1908)

MCKEE

Posted By: Pat Hochstetler
Date: 2/28/2010 at 08:32:48

The Winterset Reporter
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, September 17, 1908
Page 5

Barney

A son of Mr. McKee, of East Peru, was killed Wednesday night a mile east of Barney. He, with some other boys, left Peru on a freight train No. 62. He caught on a bridge and fell under the wheels, only living a couple of hours.
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The Winterset Reporter
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, September 17, 1908
Page 5

East Peru

This community was shocked when the awful news came on Wednesday night of the death of Floyd McKee, son of Mr. and Mrs. John McKee. Floyd, with several other boys, was seeking fun by riding on a freight train to Lorimor, expecting to meet No. 2 and return. When near Barney the unfortunate boy, who was riding on the ladder of a box car, was caught by a bridge and thrown off, several cars passing over him, cutting off one leg and badly mutilating the body. The section hands of Barney were notified and found the body. He was still alive and was sent back to Peru on No. 2, but died before reaching Peru. Rev. Helfenstein, of Des Moines, was called to conduct the funeral services, which were held in the Christian church Thursday afternoon. Surely this will be a dearly brought lesson to all his associates.
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The Winterset Madisonian
Winterset, Iowa
Thursday, September 10, 1908
Page 1, Column 3

MET AN AWFUL DEATH

Floyd McKee of Peru, Killed While Catching a Ride on a Freight Train.

Floyd McKee, the sixteen year old son of Mr. and Mrs. John R. McKee, of East Peru, met with a terrible death while catching a ride on a freight train between Peru and Barney last evening, The boy in company with 12 or 16 others was catching a free ride on the south bound freight that left Peru about nine in the evening.

The boys were having considerable fun and young McKee in a spirit of daring foolhardiness swung himself from the side of a freight car occasionally allowing his feet to touch the ground. While in this position, the train passed over a small bridge just east of Barney. The end of the bridge railing caught his body and hurled him into space.

When the train made its first stop at Lorimor, his companions reported the accident and a telephone message to Barney sent the section crew in search of him on a hand car. He was lying in the bottom of the ditch frightfully mangled but still conscious. He was taken to Barney and there placed on a north bound passenger to be taken home and died about two hours from the time of the accident.

Coroner Richards of Winterset, was called and an inquest held which developed the facts as above stated. The affair is a most distressing one and the grief stricken parents are certainly entitled to the fullest measure of sympathy.

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