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Author: hmatlock_1
Surnames: McCallister, Ewart, Thompson
Classification: death
Message Board URL:
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Message Board Post:
The Warren Tribune, Friday, Oct. 2, 1903
Killed by Freight Train
William McCallister Meets Death on V.F. Ewart's Farm.
Was Taken to Van Buren
Funeral on Monday Morning in Charge of the Red Men's Lodge.
William McCallister, the well-known drayman, was struck by the west bound local freight
train Saturday evening at a private crossing on V.F. Ewart's farm two and a half miles
southwest of town, and died about an hour later at Van Buren where he was taken by the
train crew.
He had hauled a load of new boiler flues to the Southwestern Oil company's power house
on the Ewart farm. After unloading them he reloaded his dray with the old flues and
started home. A short distance from the power house the railroad runs through the farm
and he had to cross this to reach the road. On each side of the track is a gate. He
drove through the south gate and after closing it got on the dray. The horses had crossed
the track buy the dray was standing on the rails when the train was upon him. The engine
struck the dray near the center of the platform and turned it nearly around. The driver
was hurled
a distance of sixty feet and fell on his head and shoulders beside the track. One arm was
broken above the elbow and the other at the wrist. His skull was fractured and his face
was terribly cut and bruised. The skin in many parts of his body was broken indicating
the great force of his fall.
The train was stopped and the wounded man was taken on board. At Van Buren he was carried
to hotel Van Buren and physicians were summoned, but the unfortunate drayman was beyond
the power of medicine and he died within an hour from the time of being struck and never
regained consciousness. The remains were brought home by Ira Brown about one o'clock
Sunday morning.
When the train struck the dray the harness broke and the horses escaped unhurt. It is
probable that Mr. McCallister lost his life while trying to save his team. No one except
the engineer and fireman saw the accident, but it is supposed that the team had stopped on
the track while Mr. McCallister was closing the gate and he, realizing their danger, was
trying to drive them out of way. It is said by several persons who were in the vicinity
at the time that the proper crossing signals were not given by the train men.
It was dark when Mr. McCallister finished his work at the power and as he was leaving he
drove against one of the wires holding the boiler stack, knocking the stack down, but it
will never be known if he was injured by that accident. The pumper was on the opposite
side of the building and not see the drayman leave. The position of the wheel tracks and
the way the wire and stack were lying indicated very plainly that he had met with some
accident as he was driving away from the power house.
William McCallister was born in Rockcreek township, county, on November 23, 1859. In 1879
he was married to Dorcas Thompson by whom he was the father of five children, all of whom
survive. In March 1902 his wife died, and since that time his daughters, Jennie and
Alice, have had charge of the household. The two youngest children have made their home
with thwir grandmother who lives in Rockcreek township. The youngest child is a boy of
nine years.
The deceased was a member of the Red Men's Lodge which had charge of the funeral. The
services were held from the Christian church Monday at 9:30 o'clock, Rev. J.E. Etter
officiating. The burial was in the Sparks cemetery, three miles south of Markle.
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