William"Bill" Boyles

BOYLES

Posted By: Mary (email)
Date: 4/30/2009 at 11:57:54

Ottumwa Courier 16 December 1910 page 5 column 4 Friday

WAS GREASING TRACKS
Men on Street Car Saw Him Throw up Hands and Fall to Ground--Wife Becomes Hysterical Upon Learning of Husband's Death.While greasing the curve of the street railway tracks at the corner of Ward and Keots streets this morning, William Boyles, aged 49, residing at 309 Park avenue, a veteran employe of the company, dropped dead. It isthought that his death ws caused by heart failure although he had never suffered from the disease. In fact Mr. Boyle had not been ill since a mere boy. His death occurred about 8:45 o'clock and Marion Smith, a rural mail carrier and Lawrence Moss were the first to reach the dead man.An examination by physicians revealed the fact that life was extinct,although the body was still warm. The remains were removed to the office of the street car company where physicians again made an examination. Wife Becomes Hysterical.Mrs. Boyles was immediately communicated with and when she arrived at the office and saw the remains of her husband, she immediately became hysterical.Frntic cries to him to come back to life touched the hearts of all who heard them.For a time the bereaved woman would not allow the physicians to touch the body. The remains were later removed to the C.T. Sullivan morgue and prepared for burial. Coroner A. W. Slaught was summoned. He will hold an inquest tonight at 7 o'clock at which time an effort will be made to learn the cause of death.
Mr. Boyles had greased one side of the curve and was starting to work on the other track. The Ward street car passed while he was at work and he waived his hand at the motorman and conductor. When the car got two blocks away, the
men on the rear platform saw Mr. Boyles throw up his hands and fall backward to the ground. Smith and Moss rushed to his assistance but death had been instantaneous.

Was Veteran Employe. The deceased was a veteran employe of the Ottumwa Railway & Light company,
having been in their employe for nine years. He had the care of the tracks.He was a familiar figure to men who never hew him by any other name than "Bill."He always called the cars on circus and on baseball days and his long connection
with the company made him well known to hundreds of Ottumwans. He was of a good disposition and numbered his friends by the legion. The news of his deathcame as a great shock to his co-workers and to his numerous friends.

Worked for Burlington.
The deceased formerly resided at Mt. Pleasant and had hosts of friends and relatives there. For many years he was baggageman for the Burlington at theOttumwa station and he also worked in other capacities for the railroad.

He is survived by his wife and one daughter, Miss Gladys Boyles.Following his sudden death this morning, the report was circulated about the city
that he had been electrocuted but this report was denied by the company officials who inspected the tracks at the scene of his death. It is the general belief that heart failure caused his death.
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Ottumwa Courier 17 December, Saturday 1910 page 6 column 4
HEART TWICE ITS NORMAL SIZE
Post Mortem Examination of Body of William J. Boyles Discloses Condition
A post mortem conducted by Dr. A. O. Williams over the body of William J.Boyles, the Ottumwa street railway employe who dropped dead yesterday whileat work, disclosed that the heart was twice its normal size. Dr. Williams made his report last night at the coroner's inquest which was held at the C.T. Sullivan undertaking parlors. After several witnesses had been examined, the coroner's jury, composed of W.J. Bayliss, T. J. Hall, and Thomas O. Brown returned a verdict
that the cause of death appeared to be heart troubles. Mr. Boyles was really drowned
by his own blood, according to the statement of Dr. Williams who conducted the post mortem examination. He declared that death was due to valvular insufficency.

The funeral of the deceased will be held from the family residence, 309 West Park
avenue tomorrow afternoon at 3:30 o'clock. Members of the A.O. U.W. Odd Fellows, Rebekah lodges and street railway men are requested to attend the funeral. Interment will be made in the Ottumwas cemetery. It was the wish of the decedent that the funeral services be according to the Odd Fellows' ritual, and his request
will be carried out. Reb. B.F. Patt of the First Baptist church will pronounce
benediction at the grave.