"Hobo"-Joe Gibson aka Kelley aka Farraelly(ca. 1858-1913)

UNKNOWN, GIBSON, KELLEY, FARRAELLY

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 5/17/2021 at 16:53:11

From Nevada Representative May 16, 1913 (front page)

BURNED HOBO DIES

Fatal Results of Fire in Car.

The tramp who was badly burned in burning car early Tuesday morning proved to be worse injured than appeared to be the case Tuesday afternoon, and he died Wednesday morning at the Sanitarium in this city. He was buried here Thursday forenoon at the expense of the county.

Such is the end of one of those human derelicts concerning whose definite information is perhaps not very much sought and is very difficult to get if sought. This man first gave his name as Joe Gibson. Later he said his name was Kelley; and perhaps the nearest to the truth was his statement to a Rock Island claim agent Tuesday evening that he has a brother in Newark, New Jersey name Matthew Farraelly. He also stated that he had worked for contractor on the Milwaukee reconstruction named Joe Prendergast at Dedham and a long distance telephone to Prendergast brought confirmation of this statement but no further information. The man appeared to be 55 years of age; he had no home, and he died and was buried among strangers.

What showed up in the matter was the disposition of those who happened to be about to care for the man during the time between his accident and his death. The accident was a little north of McCallsburg and was the result of his trying to investigate with a match the car that was soaked with oil or gasoline. The door of the car was open and he might have taken the chance of a jump from a moving ----- but he did not do so and when the train crew saw the fire and stopped the train ---- was back in the car and ------ up, a brakeman named Hamilton went in and got him out at the risk of his own life and at the cost of severe burns to himself, and the train was backed up to McCallsburg where he was given at the depot such attention as was possible.

When the early morning train came along he was brought to the Sanitarium here, which was the nearest hospital, and at the Sanitarium the Rock Island railroad saw to it that he received proper care.

SUBMITTER'S NOTE: This poor man's death record identifies him as "Joe Gibson."

A search shows Joseph M. Pendergast was a railroad contractor of the firm of Pendergast & Sullivan who died in Cleveland, Ohio on March 3, 1916.