HAGLEY, Jesse - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

During the storm which passed through the Wabash valley Monday afternoon, considerable damage was done.  A heavy bolt of lightning killed  JESSE HAGLEY, 23 years old, of Covington and probably fatally injured Geo. Osborn.   John Osborn and Jas. McMahan were injured and three horses were killed outright.  The accident happened on the farm of   Farmer McMahan two miles north of Covington.  Hagley, who was the son of John Hagley, was in the act of opening the barn door when the bolt descended and he was killed instantly.   He intended opening the door while the other men took the horses into the barn.  The men had just returned with their teams from the field, where they had been working, they coming in to avoid the storm.  They were riding the horses and as they came near the barn jumped off, intending to rush the animals into the building before the storm should burst upon them.  Just as Hagley placed his hand upon the door latch, the bolt descended upon men and horses, and all were struck to the ground.  Hagley and three of the horses were killed outright, and the remainder so seriously injured that for a time it was doubtful if any could survive. All the injured men were at once removed to the house, where they were attended by physicians from Covington.  Young McMahan, who is the son of the man who operates the farm, is the least injured.  Farmer McMahan, for whom the men were working, did not happen to be with then when the accident occurred. McMahan has charge of the Ferguson farm, a large and improved place, and has a number of hands employed in putting in his corn crop, the planting of which has been delayed by recent repeated rains. – thanks sooo much to S