Lawler, E. - train
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Friday, 13 October 1893
New Ross, Oct. 13—This morning the east bound freight due here at 4 a.m., was blocked by a car leaving the track. E. Lawler, a train hand, with headquarters at Arkana, Ill., was sent back a mile west of town to flag the following train at the crossing. Before going he stated to a friend that he was worn out and sleepy, having been up all night. The west bound train which he was to flag struck him some time later as he lay asleep at his post and killed him. A Miss Vannice residing near by saw the accident and gave the notice to her father who gathered up the remains.
New Ross, Oct. 13—This morning the east bound freight due here at 4 a.m., was blocked by a car leaving the track. E. Lawler, a train hand, with headquarters at Arkana, Ill., was sent back a mile west of town to flag the following train at the crossing. Before going he stated to a friend that he was worn out and sleepy, having been up all night. The west bound train which he was to flag struck him some time later as he lay asleep at his post and killed him. A Miss Vannice residing near by saw the accident and gave the notice to her father who gathered up the remains.
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Saturday, 14 October 1893
The following from the New Ross Correspondent of The Journal gives further particulars of the killing of George Lawler, an account of which appears in our issue of last evening:
New Ross, Oct. 14—George Lawless, a brakeman on the Big Four, met his death yesterday one and a half miles west of here. A freight crew had pulled into the station and found that they had lost part of their train. Then putting the cars they had upon the siding, as they supposed, they started back at a rapid speed. When they came to the west end of the siding they felt a crash and in an instant discovered that all the train was not upon the siding. Things were badly mixed up. The rear end of the tender was smashed and a car load of oats were scattered all over the track. Lawler was ordered back a mile to flag an incoming train. He walked down the track worn out and half asleep. When he came to the Vannice crossing he sat down upon a tie of the cattle guard. Mr. Vannice soon came along and during a conversation with Lawler learned that he had been working very hard for over 36 hours. Mr. Vannice went on, while his little girl sat upon the fence not fifty yards away. She noticed the man sitting there and soon the mail train came dashing along. Did they see him, or did they not? On they came at thundering speed and in a moment the crash came. George Lawler lay a bleeding corpse upon the track.
The train went on and the little girl called her father. Mr. Vannice found the dead man with a horrible cut over his right eye and extending back over his head. He had evidently died instantly. Mr. Vannice flagged the train that Lawler was to have stopped, and they took the dead man to the station. Later he was removed to the undertaking establishment of F. D. Hankins. They have been telegraphing all day and night for information concerning the relatives of the deceased, but up to 8 o’clock this morning nothing has been learned. It was a sad affair.