McCain - John - 1892 - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Linden, July 25—This morning at 4:20 o’clock a man by the name of Huffman left the depot at this place to walk to New Richmond where he is engaged in laying brick on the K. of P. hall at that place. He had proceeded down the Clover Leaf track near 1 ½ miles where there is a bridge about 25 or 30 feet long. He had been looking straight ahead for some time at an approaching train, but when he arrived at the bridge, when to his horror he observed a man lying in the middle of the track length-wise of the road and near the center of the bridge. He hastened forward and attempted to rouse the man by shaking him vigorously and gave him several kicks, but all to no purpose. Being from the first considerably ‘rattled’, he grew worse. When he found that he could not get the man around and fearing that the fast approaching train would catch him on the bridge also, he backed off the bridge swinging his hat to stop the train; but too late. The train was a heavy freight coming down a steep grade and just as the engine struck the bridge, Huffman says he saw the man throw himself across the track. His head was cut, breast mashed, both arms and hands ground up and both limbs cut off and mangled. Death was instantaneous. Examination showed him to be John McCain of New Richmond. He had been in Linden all day Sunday until the evening when he procured a horse and buggy at the livery stable and took Miss Layton buggy riding. They both attended church last night. He returned horse and buggy to the stable this morning about 3 o’clock and at once started down the track afoot for New Richmond. The remains were gathered up by the section men and taken to his sister’s at New Richmond. The whole matter of the whys, etc., of his lying down in the middle of the track remains a complete mystery to everyone at the present writing. - s

Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Tuesday, 26 July 1892

There seems to be no doubt but that the death of John McCain on the Clover Leaf near Linden yesterday was a deliberate suicide. He frequently had been heard to declare that life was not worth living, and only last Saturday he stated to the New Richmond barber that he would be found along the railroad cut to pieces some fine morning.

Yesterday after his mangled remains had been taken on to New Richmond, Joe Oliver, a farm hand, found some big bones and pieces of flesh which had not been picked up. He placed these on the ties of the railroad and they were still lying there at last account. -s