Julian - Sarah
Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal, April 19, 1902
Miss Sarah Julian was struck by a construction train on the Big Four railway Tuesday evening at ten minutes after 4 o'clock at the Crawford street crossing and instantly killed. Miss Julian was on her way to visit her sister, Miss Mattie Julian, at the home of Miss Clara Crawford, and did not apparently see the train until it was right upon her, and then lost her presence of mind and stepped directly in front of the engine. Frank Scott, the mail carrier, was one of the witnesses of the accident and described it was follows: I was going north on Crawford street and passed Miss Julian just north of the tracks a little ways. I heard the bell of the train ringing as it came through the campus and looked back to see it pass. When I looked back Miss Julian was right at the track with her head down and as the train reached her she stepped forward, then backward and forward again, and I think was struck by the south side of the pilot. She was evidently bewildered and did not know what to do. The body was thrown in the air and alighted on the south side of the track about forty feet from where she was struck. When I got to her life was apparently extint and I immediately went to Miss Clara Crawford, where the sister of the deceased, Miss Mattie Julian, has long resided. Miss Julian was dead when Dr. Dennis arrived. Her left limb was broken, her shoulder fractured and there were several wounds about her head. Miss Ella Callahan and Mrs. Nat Beatty were standing close to the track when the accident happened, the latter turning her head to avoid seeing the terrible affair. Next morning Coroner Dennis examined the railroad men, composed of a caboose, flat car and engine. Engineer John Brown stated that he saw Miss Julian when he was 75 feet away and blew the whistle, but as she kept right on toward the track he shut off his engine, and then when he saw her start forward he thought she had got over safely and turned on the steam again. He asked his fireman if the woman had got across alright but was told that she had not been seen by the fireman. He immediately realized that the engine had struck her and stopped and ran back to where the body lay in the ditch. Mr. Brown states they were running about six miles an hour, and that Miss Julian evidently lost her presence of mind, as she had ample time to get across the track safely. The coroner is examining the other witness this afternoon and his verdict will be accidental death in accordance with the evidence. Miss Julian was born about seventy years ago and had lived in the family of Alexander Thomson and later with Rev. E.B. Thomson ever since she was a small girl. She was a life long member of Center Presbyterian church and a woman of quiet and loving disposition, living a consistent christian life. Because of the illness of Mrs. Omer Cox the physician advised the body not to be brought to the Thomson home for the funeral services, and the services were held at the home of Miss Clara Crawford Thursday afternoon at 2:30 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Clarence Hall Wilson, pastor of Center church, and Rev. H.C. Nave, of the First Presbyterian church. Interment was at Oak Hill cemetery. – thanks to Kim H