Iowa Old Press
Alton Democrat, Feb. 6, 1886
KASS KILLED. Nicholas Kass is Tramped to Death by a Horse.
Last Friday night [Jan. 29], after The Democrat had gone to press, Nicholas,
the 15-year-old son of Frank Kass, residing seven miles south of Alton, in
the edge of Plymouth county, met with a horrible death. He has been
attending the Sisters' School in this city all winter, his custom being to
ride his horse over on Monday morning and return home Friday evening. On
this fateful evening, when almost home, the horse struck a very large snow
drift, and in floundering about, threw its rider off. Before the lad could
get out of the way the horse plunged upon him, burying him deep in the snow,
breaking his ribs, windpipe and inflicting other fatal injuries. The horse
came home riderless, warning Mr. Kass that something was wrong, who at once
started out to find what it was. He soon found Nicholas lying on the snow
and bleeding from the mouth, nose and ears, but able to tell how it
happened. He was carried to the house and Dr. A. P. Owens, of this place,
summoned, but before medical assistance could arrive, the boy was dead. The
body presented a horrible appearance, the doctor informs us, being bloated
to three times its usual size, and was very much discolored. The funeral
took place Monday at Remsen.
The finger of fate seems to have marked the family of Mr. Kass. Five years
ago, on the 4th of July, at the same identical place that Nicholas met his
horrible death, a cyclone killed two other sons. Four years ago, his wife
and daughter died of typhoid fever, and last fall another son was kicked by
a horse, and laid up in consequence for three months. The surviving members
of the family have the sympathy of everybody.
Alton Democrat of Feb 13, 1886:
In speaking of the horrible death of Nicholas Kass, in last week's issue, we
made and error in stating that he was going home from school in this place.
He was out driving up the cows, when the horse threw him. He lived until
Father Luehrsman of this place arrived and delivered the last rites of the
Catholic church, in which faith he died.
NOTE from researcher: In originally posting the Feb. 13 death notice,
couldn't determine with 100% certainty just what family Nicholas belonged
to. Found one family in 1880 in Fredonia Twp Plymouth Co., the Frank and
Anna Kass family and then in 1885 census Frank was a widower, so assumed
them to be the parents. Nicholas Kass is not in the Sioux County cemetery
index so burial place is not determined; possibly buried in Plymouth County.