To: <IADECATU-L@rootsweb.com>

Subject: DEATH OF AMOS STILES.

Date: Thursday, May 17, 2001 4:35 PM

November 9, l896

KILLED BY A FREIGHT TRAIN

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AMOS STILES of Garden Grove Meets Sudden Death.

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Walking on the Track He Was Struck by a Train from the Rear--Dead Man

Was Deaf and Dumb.

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The mangled body of a man, whose head was crushed almost beyond

recognition, was taken from the way car of the C.B.& Q. south bound

freight immediately upon the train's arrival in town last Saturday

morning, and placed upon two boards on the platform. The dead man's

head reclined in a pool of blood. The neck was broken and the top of

the skull horribly crushed as stated above.

Inquiry developed the fact that he had been struck by the train, while

walking on the track, just as the train came out of the cut one-half

mile north of the PETER SCOTT farm, between Crown and Garden Grove.

A jury, composed of J.E. BROOKS, J.A. HAWKINS and J.D. BROWN was

impaneled. The train crew all testified before the jury, the train

being held fifteen or twenty minutes on this account. The first matter

which developed was the establishment of the dead man's identity. J.D.

BROWN and others positively identified him as AMOS STILES, a deaf mute

who had resided for years in the neighborhood of Garden Grove.

G.W. HOWARD testified as follows: "I am brakesman on freight train No.

ll4, engine No. 2l5, under conductor Wm. Smith. I did not see man

before the train struck him, but when he was struck I saw his hat fly

into the air. Train struck him about one-half mile north of PETER

SCOTT's farm just as we came out of cut. Heard engine give signal to

stop, repeating whistle. Train was going south and engineer said man

was going south. I have seen the dead man before and used to know him

when I was a boy. I think his name is Stiles."

E.E. GRAY testified as follows: "I am engineer on train No. 2l5,

conductor, WM. SMITH. I first saw deceased in cut north of bridge "28

A." He was about four car lengths, or l50 feet from train when I first

saw him. We were running about 20 miles an hour. We called for brakes,

also whistled, but he paid no attention. He was walking in the middle

of track. The side of the pilot struck him, but train did not run over

him. I was looking out car window when I first saw him."

The testimony of WM. SMITH, conductor, and J.F. BARR, fireman, and W.A.

MAUCK, brakeman, corroborated the testimony of GRAY and SMITH in regard

to danger signals given, etc.

The coroner's jury rendered the following verdict:

We, the jury find that the deceased, AMOS STILES, came to his death by

being run over by C.B. & Q. train No. ll4, engine No. 2l5; E.E. GRAY,

engineer; WILLIAM SMITH, conductor. We further find that no blame can

be attached to anyone, according to the testimony offered before us.

Signed: J.D. BROWN

J.A. HAWKINS

J.E. BROOKS

Undertaker JAS. GRANDSTAFF took the body in charge Saturday afternoon

and prepared it for burial. Sunday afternoon the body was taken to

Garden Grove in charge of JOHN METIER and interred. The deceased was a

relative of MRS. JOHN METIER of this place, and also of the STILES

family living at and in the vicinity of Garden Grove. He was an

itinerant clock repairer and traveled all through Decatur County.

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Copied by Nancee(McMurtrey)Seifert