McGill - Martha - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal, 18 December 1896

A Mother and Daughter Meet a Tragic Fate, Being Ground to Pieces By a Midland Engine One of the most awful and tragic accidents in the history of Montgomery county occurred Wednesnay at Ladoga, the victims being Mrs. Martha McGill and her sixteen years old daughter Esther. They were caught on the tressle of the Midland railroad and literally ground to pieces. Mrs. McGill was the relict of Harvey McGill, of Ladoga, who died several years ago leaving his wife and six small children wholly without means. The mother and her oldest child Esther were accordingly sent to the poor house, the younger children being placed in the Orphans' Home, from which all have since been taken by good families over the county. Mrs McGill and Esther continued at the poor house for several seasons, remaining there until during the past summer when Mrs. McGill obtained the position of housekeeper for Perry Smith of Ladoga, Mr. Smith's wife having died. Mrs McGill and Esther there fore went to Ladoga and resided there until a tragic death overtook them Wednesday. Shortly after five o'clock Wednesday afternoon they left Ladoga and started west along the Midland track to Connettsville, a suburb of the town. Between this suburb and Ladoga proper there is a ravine which is spanned by the railroad tressle, a structure which is neither very long nor very high Mrs. McGill and her daughter were accustomed to walk over this in going to and from town and Wednesday walked out upon it as usual. They were less than twenty feet from the west on Connettsville's side of the tressle when they observed the east bound Midland passenger train coming rapidly toward them. They had plenty of time to cross the remaining distance in safety but were surprised and became so terrified that they turned and began to hurry back across the tressle —a fatal mistake on their part. Still they would have made the eastern bank without injury had not Esther in her fright and terror slipped and fallen between the ties. Her mother with frantic haste turned back and extricated her, the women again hurrying on as the train rushed upon the tressle. The women were within ten feet of the east bank when the girl again slipped. In an instant more the train had struck her and ground her to pieces beneath the wheels. Mrs. McGill could still have escaped by leaping from the tressle to the ground, a distance of less than twelve feet, but when her daughter slipped the second time she again turned to her aid. She literally sprang against the cruel engine as it crushed out her daughter's life and in her vain and hopeless endeavor at a rescue she shared her daughter's fate. The girl was simply ground to small pieces and Mrs. McGill fared but little better. Both her legs and one arm were cut off and her body was horribly mangled. The bloody and mangled bits of humanity fell through the tressle from the wheels at lay upon the ground in an awful and sickening confusion. The train was as soon as possible and the horrified train crew hurried back to the scene of the tragedy. The accident had occurred just in the rear of the residence of Capt. A. M. Scott and one of the trainmen hastened to the rear door of the house. His frantic knock was answered by Miss Hattie Scott, the Captain's daughter, and the following interesting colloquy occurred: "Well, Miss, have you got any nerve?" Miss Scott, all unconscious of the tragedy, replied that it depended altogether upon circumstances as to whether she had nerve, whereupon the trainman, with terrible bluntness, blurred out: "Well, if you have any, Miss, now's the time to use it. Our engine has cut up a couple of women to little bits out here in your back yard and we want you to come out and help pick up the pieces." This horrible announcement very nearly prostrated the young lady, but Mrs. Scott hearing' the news hurried out and assisted in the collection and separation of the bodies. Mrs. McGill was a sister of Eph Reeder, until recently janitor of the Central school building. Coroner Barcus will return a verdict of accidental death and exonerate the railroad from all blame.- thanks so much for this very sad but important obit - Kim H :) You rock, girly !

One of the most awful tragic accidents in the history of Montgomery County occurred Wednesday at Ladoga, the victims being Mrs. Martha McGill and her sixteen years old daughter, Esther. They were caught on the trestle of the Midland Railroad and literally ground to pieces.

Mrs. McGill was the relict of Harvey McGill, of Ladoga, who died several years ago leaving his wife and six small children wholly without means. The mother and her oldest child, Esther, were accordingly sent to the poor house, the younger children being placed in the Orphans’ Home, from which all have since been taken by good families over the county.

Mrs. McGill and Esther continued at the poor house for several seasons, remaining there until during the past summer when Mrs. McGill obtained the position of housekeeper for Perry Smith of Ladoga, Mr. Smith’s wife having died. Mrs. McGill and Esther therefore went to Ladoga and resided there until a tragic death overtook them Wednesday.

Shortly after five o’clock Wednesday afternoon they left Ladoga and started west along the Midland track to Connettsville, a suburb of the town. Between this suburb and Ladoga proper there is a ravine which is spanned by the railroad trestle, a structure which is neither very long nor very high. Mrs. McGill and her daughter were accustomed to walk over this in going to and from town and Wednesday walked out upon it as usual. They were less than twenty feet from the west on Connettsville’s side of the trestle when they observed the east bound Midland passenger train coming rapidly toward them. They had plenty of time to cross the remaining distance in safety but were surprised and became so terrified that they turned and began to hurry back across the trestle—a fatal mistake on their part. Still they would have made the eastern bank without injury had not Esther, in her fright and terror, slipped and fallen between the ties.  Her mother with frantic haste turned back and extricated her, the women again hurrying on as the train rushed upon the trestle. The women were within ten feet of the east bank when the girl again slipped. In an instant more the train had struck her and ground her to pieces beneath the wheels. Mrs. McGill could still have escaped by leaping from the trestle to the ground, a distance of less than twelve feet, but when her daughter slipped the second time she again turned to her aid. She literally sprang against the cruel engine as it crushed out her daughter’s life and in her vain and hopeless endeavor at a rescue she shared her daughter’s fate. The girl was simply ground to small pieces and Mrs. McGill fared but little better. Both her legs and one arm were cut off and her body was horribly mangled. The bloody and mangled bits of humanity fell through the trestle from the wheels and lay upon the ground in an awful and sickening confusion. The train was stopped as soon as possible and the horrified crew hurried back to the scene of the tragedy. The accident had occurred just in the rear of the residence of Capt. A. M. Scott and one of the trainmen hastened to the rear door of the house. His frantic knock was answered by Miss Hattie Scott, the Captain’s daughter, and the following interesting colloquy occurred.

“Well, Miss, have you got any nerve?”

Miss Scott, all unconscious of the tragedy, replied that it depended altogether upon circumstances as to whether she had nerve, whereupon the trainman, with terrible bluntness, blurted out:

“Well, if you have any, Miss, now’s the time to use it. Our engine has cut up a couple of women to little bits out here in your back yard and we want you to come out and help pick up the pieces.”

This horrible announcement very nearly prostrated the young lady, but Mrs. Scott, hearing the news, hurried out and assisted in the collection and separation of the bodies.

Mrs. McGill was a sister of Eph Reeder, until recently janitor of the Central School building.

Coroner Barcus will return a verdict of accidental death and exonerate the railroad from all blame.