Marshall V. Blanchard

BLANCHARD, MORREHEAD, VANDALA, BURGERS, FARMER, DIXON, STULL

Posted By: Ann H. (email)
Date: 2/21/2008 at 16:05:23

UNIDENTIFIED MAN, ABOUT 60 YEARS OLD, KILLED BY TRAIN AT WYOMING HILL

Had Been Walking Along Tracks as Trains Passed

WOUND IN HEAD

One Foot Cut Off But Fractured Skull Is Thought to Have Caused His Death

An unidentified man, apparently about 60 years old, was killed at about 1:45 this afternoon when struck by a freight train at the western end of Wyoming Hill, near the Jacob Grimm cottage, and the H. Carstensen home on the River road.

Just how the accident occurred is not known for the trainmen, the only witnesses, left on their trains after summoning Mr. Carstensen who notified authorities in Muscatine. The two trains, one a Rock Island and the other a Milwaukee, both freights, passed at that point.

Two stories were heard from the small group that gathered at the scene. One was that the man had attempted to stand between the two trains as they passed and was struck by one of them. The other story was that he had jumped out of the way of the Rock Island train into the path of the Milwaukee train, whih he had not heard.

The left foot was crushed and partly cut off and the right ankle was broken. His death probably was caused by a wound on the back of the head, which apparently had fractured his skull.

Identity Uncertain

No positvie marks of identification were found. The was a letter, addressing the recipient as "Uncle Alex" and signed "Maggie". In one pocket a sales slip from the Batterson Stores was found on the back of which had been written a list of groceries headed by the name "M. Blair." One theory was that he was an employee of the B*********(undecipherable) line and had been sent to to purchase the groceries for one of the ******(undecipherable) boats along the river. Other effects found in pocket included a small religious handbook, a pocketbook with a small amount of money, two apples and a sack of cookies. There were no marks of identification on his clothes, which were rough and intended for outdoor wear. His clothing included two coats, a heavy flannel shirt, overalls and trousers.

Body Brought Here

The man is slight of build, of medium height, gray haired and has a gray mustache.

Coroner W.S. Norton, when notified of the accident, directed the body brought to the Fairbanks Funeral home, where it is being held.

William Carnahan, conductor, and Amber Towns, engineer of the Milwaukee train were the trainment who reported the accident.

Muscatine Journal January 3, 1927

TRAIN VICTIM IS M.V. BLANCHARD

RELATIVES IDENTIFY BODY OF ILLINOIS CITY MAN

Met Death When Struck by Train Near Wyoming Hill - Funeral to be Thursday From Illinois City.

Relatives at Illinois City, Ill., identified the body of the man killed in a train accident near Wyoming Hill yesterday afternoon as Marshall V. Blanchard, aged 72.

Marshall Blanchard was born in Illinois City, Ill., March 15, 1851, and was the child of Theodore and Margaret Moorehead Blanchard. Marshall Blanchard married Sarah VanDala 54 years ago. He was a member of the Illinois City Methodist Episcopal Church.

Surviving are three sons, Charles of San Diego, Calif.; Frank, Kalamazoo, Mich.; Edward, Portland Ore,; three daughters, Mrs. Mary Burgers, Los Angeles, Calif,; Mrs Martha Farmer, Portland, Ore,; Mrs. Augusta Dixon, of Montana; one sister, Mrs. Maggie Stull, Illinois City; three brothers, Charles of Illinois City; Alex who lives on Geneva Island; Frand T. of Muscatine; seven grandchildren.

Funeral services will be from the Illinois City Methodist church Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock conducted by the Rev. Caleb Larson. Interment will be in the Illinois City cemetery.

Muscatine Journal January 4, 1927