Gillen - Benjamin - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Source: Crawfordsville Daily News-Review Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana Jan 30, 1903

The time of the Darlington crossing accident was 1:15 o'clock Thursday afternoon. The special carrying the officials of the road on a tour of inspection was north bound when Tice Chrisman and Benjamin Gillen, the victims of the horrible accident, were enroute to Darlington to attend the funeral of Morton Mote. The view from the south of the Main Street Crossing is obstructed by a warehouse and a saw mill but it appears that the unfortunate men were cogninant of the fact that a train was coming. Frank and Cecil Jordon, brothers, were in a buggy just ahead of them and hearing the train whistle they slacked up to wait for it to pass. As they did so etiher Chrisman or Gillen called to them to drive up with the assurance that they had plenty of time to get across. They did so, Chrisman's buggy following. The front buggy cleared the crossing all right and the back wheels of the other were ont he east rail of the track when the engine struck them. Another second andt ehy would have been safe but as it was they were burie dinto eternity. The Jordans and others witnessed the accident and state that the two men were thrown high into the air. Both were men weight 200 # or over but the impact was sufficient to throw them 50' or more. Chrisman's head was crushed like an egg shell and his neck broken. He was killed instantly but Gillen breathed for five minutes after they were sturck, although he never spoke. He had a deep scalp wound over his eye and another on top of his head. The skull was not fractured but his neck broken. Coroner Keegan was taken up on a switch enginer to hold the inquest. From all he could learn the victims were themselves to blame for the accident. Every witness testified that the train whistled almost continually from the time it reached the grade a half mile from the crossing. The horse was not hurt and ran up town with the shaft dragging to him. The buggy was converted into kindling wood but the top and portions of the gear were still hanging to the pilot when the engineer stopped and backed up to the scene. The bodies of the unfortunat emen were taken tot he undertaking establishment at Darlington and prepared for burial before they were removed to the respective homes. The trainmen will be here tomorrow to be examined. -- kbz

Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Crawfordsville, Montgomery County, Indiana Jan 29, 1903 p5

Darlington, Ind Jan 29-- Benjamin Gillan and M. Crisman, both farmers living two miles west of Darlington were struck this afternoon at a quarter past one o'clock by a special north bound Vandalia passenger train carrying the train master and general manager of the road while driving to this city in a buggy to attend the funeral of Morton Mote, a young man who died here Wednesday and who was a brother Odd Fellow of the two unfortunate men. Crisman died instantly, his head being crushed until it was almost unrecognizable. Gillan lived about 20 minutes he too having his head mashed in a terrible manner. The accident happened at the crossing of the Vandalia just north of the station in the heart of the city. The train was going at a rapid rate and struck the buggy squarely in the middle. The two men were struck by the head of the boiler and hurled to the side of the track, while the buggy was carried on the pilot a distance of more than one hundred yards. Marvelous as it seems the horse escaped without a scratch. The train was stopped immediately and an investigation made by the officials on the special. They were Superintendent F.T. Hatch, Trainmaster Burk and General Manager H.I. Miller. The dead men were carried to the undertaking establishment at Darlington where the bodies will be prepared for burial. Both men were about 50 years of age and were well-to-do and highly respected men. Mr. Gillan is a widower and leaves one unmarried daughter. Mr. Crisman leaves a wife and one adopted daughter. Both were prominent members of the Odd Fellows Lodge at Darlington and both were civil war veterans -- typed by kbz.

Source: Argos Reflector Thurs 12 Feb 1903 p 3