Philip Tofil Kazmierczak (-1957)

KAZMIERCZAK

Posted By: Dorian Myhre (email)
Date: 12/7/2015 at 18:42:06

From Nevada Evening Journal March 29, 1957 (Front page)

DIES FROM INJURIES....
Falls Asleep on Tracks,
Hit By Rock Island Train

McCALLSBURG: A man identified as Philip Kazmierczak of Buffalo, N. Y., was fatally injured when struck by a Rock Island freight train here at 7:55 last night. He was brought to the Story County Hospital and lived about two hours.

He carried only a book of matches, a bar of soap and a road map and considerable mystery surrounded the case in attempting to find out who he was. Officials were also puzzled as to how his body got in the middle of the tracks. This discounted the theory that he had fallen from the train.

In a semi-conscious state at the hospital, he tried to give Dr. Merton Johnson his name. Johnson made it out as Kaster. The doctor did not learn that Kazmierczak had fallen asleep on the tracks while waiting for a train. That cleared up one mystery. He also told Johnson he was a "hobo."

Had Been Arrested
Through the book of matches the sheriff's office found out who he was. They bore the name of a Mason City business. A call to the Mason City police with a description of the man uncovered the fact that a person with the same description had been arrested there. Further checking revealed without doubt that the dead man was Philip Kazmierczak.

There is also a mystery concerning the dead man's shoes. When found he was in his stocking feet. A check of the box car and rail bed failed to turn them up.

Kazmierczak was found by train crews when they stepped at McCallsburg to allow another train to by-pass. John Sandmeier, McCallsburg agent for the Rock Island, said that five or six cars passed over him.

Kazmierczak suffered a ruptured liver and portal vein and multiple fractures of the ribs and legs. According to Dr. Johnson, blood transfusions couldn't keep up with the loss of blood.

Dr. G. E. DuBois of McCallsburg was called to the scene and administered aid until Ryan's ambulance arrived.