Iowa Old Press

Davenport Democrat and Leader
Davenport, Scott, Iowa
October 17, 1926

MEXICAN FOUND DEAD ON RAILROAD TRACKS
THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN HIT BY TRAIN

    Juan Perez, 27 years of age, C.R.I.P. railway section laborer who formerly lived in a box car near Nahant, was found dead by the side of the right-of-way at the old River Road road crossing east of Nahant by a train crew passing the scene at 4 a.m. Saturday.
    Coroner J.D. Cantwell, after investigating the death, stated that he was convinced that Perez was struck by a train altho there are no witnesses to verify his belief, and that he would not hold an inquest.
    According to members of the Nahant round house Perez received word Friday that he was to report for work at the Union depot tracks in Davenport on Saturday and that he left Nahant at 10 p.m. Friday night taking a suit case of clothes with him. Coroner Cantwell expressed the belief that Perez had been struck a glancing blow by a train while attempting to step out of its way and that the force of the blow had caused fatal injuries.
    A theory, later abandoned, was that Perez had met with foul play. Members of the train crew which found the body notified police and they in turn called the coroner. Clyde Crouse and Henry Lusfield, railroad employes, told the coroner that they thought Perez attempted to board the train at the crossing. Train No. 12 on the C.R.I. & P. railway is thought to have been the train which killed Perez, according to the Coroner's report.
    Perez had been employed at the Nahant yards the past year and lived in a box car near there. He had never married and had no relatives in Davenport. The body was taken to the M.V. Boies Co. mortuary pending possible word from relatives out of town.

Submitted by C.J.L., July 2005