Stinton, William (Died 1915)

STINTON

Posted By: Doris Hoffman (email)
Date: 6/18/2010 at 09:57:07

HIS NECK WAS BROKEN
WILLIAM STINTON KILLED WHEN
HORSES RUN AWAY
BODY IS FOUND BY DAUCHTER
Team Arrives at Home Without the
Driver or Wagon and a Search is
Instituted — Was Returning From a
Trip to Westfield.

William J. Stinton , a farmer residing
in Sioux township , was killed in a
runaway accident on Tuesday night,
while on his way home from Westfield
to his farm six miles east of that
place .

The first intimation that anything
was wrong was when Avery Small,
employed at Stinton’s as hired man,
heard horses galloping in the yard
about half past ten. He went out to
investigate and found the team that
Stanton had driven to Westfield. They
had got clear of the wagon . The neck-
yoke held them together and a broken
single tree dangled at their heels. The
bridle on one of the horses was broken
and were parts of the harness torn.
Small caught the horses and hitching
up another horse started in company
with Grace Stinton, the 18-year-old
daughter of his employer, to make a
search . At a point about two miles
and a half from the house they found
the body of Mr. Stinton lying face
downwards in the road. Stooping
over the body they were shocked to
find the man was dead. Small sum-
moned assistance, and with the aid
of a neighbor, H. H. Hompy, con-
veyed the body to the Stinton resid
ence and broke the sad news to
Mrs. Stinton and the children. A
physician was summoned from Akron.
He found that the unfortunate man
had broken his neck, and his left leg
and left arm were badly bruised and
lacerated. In his opinion death was
instantaneous.

County Coroner Nic Willigen went
out on Wednesday and held an in-
quest over the remains. H. B . More-
head , J. W. Faust and John Kanago
were empanelled as a jury. Avery
Small was the first witness and told
of the horses coming home without
their driver, and how he and Miss
Grace Stinton went out to search for
Mr. Stinton and found his body in the
road. The evidence showed that
Stinton stopped at the Ed. Pendleton
house on his way home . Tom Rein-
hart, a farm hand employed by Pend-
leton, testified that he rode out from
Westfield with Stinton. Stinton tied
up his team at Pendleton’s and stayed
there some time. Miss Beaade Pend-
leton, aged is, said Mr. Stinton
came in the house and he and her
father were together in the dining
room talking. She remained in the
kitchen. She thought Mr. Stinton left
about ten o'clock. Reinhart was asked
if he had been in a saloon with Stinton
and he said no, but that Stinton
had a bottle along.

A number of other witnesses told
of being called to the scene of the ac-
cident and of seeing the dead body,
but their evidence was not material.
The jury returned a verdict of acid-
ental death, finding that the deceased
had broken his neck when thrown
from a wagon when his horses ran
away.

Mr. Stinton was about forty-eight.
years of age, and leaves a widow and
five children.

Le Mars Semi-WeeklSentinel - January 29, 1915