Rendezzo, Joe 1889 -1911

RENDEZZO

Posted By: Wilma J. Vande Berg (email)
Date: 6/6/2016 at 18:55:09

Alton Democrat of Sep 9, 1911

Coroner Gleysteen was called to Ireton Tuesday afternoon to hold an inquest over the body of Joe Rendezzo, an Italian section man, who was killed at about three o’clock by being struck and run over by a Northwestern engine. The awful accident occurred about 200 feet west of the Ed Schute crossing, about a mile west of Ireton. Roadmaster McDremott, Section Foreman Anderson and four Italian section men were on a hand car traveling east, inspecting the track. The poor fellow that was killed faced west on the hand car and seeing an engine rounding a sharp curve about 250 feet back shouted ‘engine’. The hand car stopped and the men jumped for saftey. Everybody cleared the track with the exception of Joe Rendezzo. His horribly mangled body cut in seven pieces was found between the rails about 80 feet east of where he was struck. The lone engine was making a run from Hawarden to Eagle Grove and according to the testimony of Engineer Bonstad and fireman Schrecke, they were running about 35 miles per hour and saw the hand car at a distance of 300 feet, blew the whistle and tried to stop but evidently the distance was too short. No one could tell just exactly how the accident happened or rather why the man that was killed did not clear the track with the others.

Two of the Italians testified that Rendezzo was stooping over the head end of the hand car when the engine struck the hand car and him. It seems that he made an effort to drag the hand car off the track or else stumbled when he jumped off. The wheels of the engine passed over his body perhaps several time as the body was dragged along between the rails for about eighty feet. Scattering the spattering crushed particles of flesh and bone along the way.

The remains were taken to the Satterlee and Peebles undertaking parlors where the inquest was held. The coroner’s jury which was composed of F. O. Parker, H. W. Hyink and J. E. Byrne found that Joe Rendezzo came to this death by accidental injury inflicted by a locomotive of the Northwestern railroad. During the inquest an Italian track laborer of Hawarden, a friend of Rendezzo who had come afoot all the way from Hawarden, running most of the time, viewed the mangle remains of the friend and burst into tears. This incident was very sad. Joe seemed to be a favorite, He had been in Ireton since August first. He acted as interpreter for the other Italians, made their purchases for them and they thought much of him.

He was only 22 years of age and had only one relative in this country a cousin who lives in Chicago. The remains were taken to Hawarden Wednesday for burial. Services were held in the Catholic church and interment was made in the Catholic cemetery.