Anderson, Tilghman Howard - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

The body of T. H. Anderson, who was buried in a well on his farm Thursday of last week, was dug out about 3 o’clock in the afternoon. Coroner Dennis made an examination and found that death resulted from suffocation, the lips, tongue and finger nails all being blue, signs that are always present where death is caused by smothering. Dr. Dennis states that it is possible that Mr. Anderson did not lose consciousness for several minutes, the breath in his body gradually producing a condition of anesthesia or unconsciousness.

The body was found in an upright position, slightly stooped, with the arms in front, the fists being tightly clenched. It was evident from the position of the body that Mr. Anderson had fallen straight down, the brick caving in under his feet, and the well being too narrow to permit his body turning over in the fall. The dirt evidently kept falling, piling up around him and quickly covering him over.

There were several tons of damp earth on top of the body, which was leaning over against one of the walls, and it was so tightly wedged in that the dirt had to be removed clear down to the feet before it could be hauled up by the windlass. The remains were at once taken to the house and Coroner Dennis proceeded to make his examination with the result stated above. No blame attaches to any person for the death of Mr. Anderson, who lost his life because of his fearlessness in attempting to do work that other men had refused to do.

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 22 November 1901

The funeral of Tilghman Howard Anderson occurred last Friday from the home, just south of the city, and was very largely attended. The services were conducted by Rev. James Oliphant, of the Primitive Baptist Church. The body was taken to Rockville Saturday morning for burial, that town being the former home of Mr. Anderson.

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 15 November 1901

Yesterday at 10 o’clock a.m. while removing an old brick casing in an abandoned well at his home, Howard Anderson was precipitated to the bottom and covered by ten feet of dirt that caved in from the top of the well. Mr. Anderson was erecting some new buildings on his place, which was formerly the old Durham home, and was desirous of saving the brick casing in an abandoned well about fifty yards directly east of the house. His stepson, Will Sennett, went into the well before work was begun and made an examination of the walls to see if there was any danger of a cave-in and punched the dirt with a stick to see if it was loose. He thought it was safe and worked in it for an hour or more, finally leaving the work to Mr. Anderson, while he went over to the Herron farm, which Mr. Anderson owns, to get a ladder to help in the work. Walter Luddington was helping Mr. Anderson and the work had progressed to a depth of about sixteen feet. While Luddington was pulling up a bucket full of bricks, Mr. Anderson suddenly exclaimed: “Hand me the rope quick—what’s kicking in that dirt so.” Just then there was a dull crash and the ground on which Luddington was standing began to give away and he only saved himself by jumping back quickly. He threw the bucket down and crawled back on the platform to the top of the well, and looking down could see that a large amount of dirt from all around the upper part of the well had caved in and buried Mr. Anderson under it. He saw that he could do nothing by himself and Mrs. Anderson being in the city he hurried to town for a doctor, Dr. E. W. Keegan returning with him. When they got there it was plain to be seen that nothing could be done to save Mr. Anderson’s life, as it would take several hours to dig him out. By this time Mrs. Anderson had arrived at home and a score of neighbors were soon on hand. A number of well diggers were summoned, but it was 11 o’clock before any of them arrived. Bill Dickerson, Davy Pine and several others at once began making a casing for the well and this was in place by noon, work being immediately begun on excavating the dirt that had caved in. the dirt is of a sandy, gravelly composition, and as the body was buried under about fifteen feet of it, it was 4 o’clock before the diggers reached it, all hope of rescuing Mr. Anderson alive having been abandoned as soon as the situation was understood. The dirt was so loose that it kept caving in every time any person got near the well, which was dry and thirty one feet deep.

Mr. Anderson was born sixty three years ago in Rockville, and came to this county in 1893, where he has since resided. He had been married twice, his second wife being Mrs. Rachel Sennett, whom he married in this county in 1895. He had one son by his first wife, whose name is Everett Anderson, and who is employed by the Central Union Telephone Company in Lafayette. His stepson, Will T. Sennett, lives with his mother at home.

Mr. Anderson is one of the best known men in the county, and in fact is well known over several states, being a large breeder of Hereford cattle and Shetland ponies. He is a prominent member of the Old School Baptist Church and was a man of considerable property, owning in addition to the old Durham home, the fine Herron farm, a mile southwest of the city. He was a man of much enterprise and thrift and his many friends will be pained to learn of his death in such a terrible manner. Mrs. Anderson is nearly overcome by the awful calamity, but is bearing up bravely under the strain. Everett Anders, son of the deceased, arrived in the afternoon from Lafayette, being summoned by telephone.

The body of Mr. Anderson was reached at 3 o’clock and Coroner Dennis found that death was caused by suffocation. No bones were broken but the finger nails were blue, a sign that is always present when suffocation is the cause of death. The funeral arrangements have not yet been made.