Crawfordsville Journal Sept 19, 1910 p 1 -- Hillsboro, Sept 19 - Edgar Rusk, a prominent
farmer residing 3 miles east of here, was horribly crushed this morning and was killed
instantly by a traction engine and clove rhuller which was his own outfit. He had gone to
the barnyard early, where he fired up his engine preparatory to getting ready to hull
clover seed. Just how he came to his death is not known as no other companion was with
him except his 5-year-old son Ralph. As soon as the little fellow realized in some vague
way that something was wrong with his father, he ran screaming to his mother. When Mrs.
Rusk realized what dreadful news her son was telling her she rushed to the scene. She was
horrified to see her husband was crushed between the guide wheel on the engine and the
clover huller and apparently dead. After she reached his side he gave a couple of gasps
and died. Telephone messages were sent to Hillsboro where many secured automobiles and
went to the scene, but nothing could be done for the unfortunate man. Dr. IN Hamilton of
Waynetown was hastily summoned but he, of course could do nothing. He said the
victim's neck was broken the jugular vein was severed and his head and face horribly
mangled. The particulars of how the accident occurred will never be known. One solution
might be that after firing up the engine, the water tank had to be filled and the engine
was uncoupled from the huller and he had from appearances purposed to run the engine
forward and fill the boiler and then back up and couple to the huller again, but by
mistake or by losing control of his engine it had run back instead of forward and caught
his head against the front of the huller and had crushed his head so horribly that it
could not have been recognized. He was so tightly bound fast that a team had to be hitched
to the engine and drawn away before he could be released. He was the eldest son of Dennis
Rusk and was about 45 years of age. He leaves a wife and six children. Mr. Rusk was a
prosperous farmer and had been Cain Twp's assessor the past 2 years. He has been
running a thresher the past 3 years. He was a member of the UB Church and funeral services
will probably occur Wednesday.