Wilhite - William - 1892
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Thursday, 25 February 1892
The injuries which Wilhite sustained yesterday morning while attempting to board a freight train on the Clover Leaf road at New Richmond, resulted fatally as predicted in The Journal yesterday. Wilhite died last night at about 12 o’clock after a period of twelve hours suffering. The injury to his head would probably have caused death itself, and this coupled with the terrible shock resultant on the loss of his leg made death inevitable from the first. He was unconscious a greater part of the time after the accident. Wilhite will be buried at the Wilhite burying ground near the W. W. Tiffany place. He was raised near New Richmond and had been visiting old friends when he met his death.
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Journal Sat 27 Feb 1892
The New Richmond Times states that when Wm Wilhite fell under the wheels of the Clover Leaf freight there last Wednesday, he, writhing in awful agony, begged the bystanders to kill him. Taking out his knife he attempted to amputate his crushed and mangled limb, but the knife was taken from him. He would utter terrible oaths and then cry out, “God save me, Christ have mercy!” Prior to his removal to the saloon, and while yet on the platform at the depot, he was visited by our very worthy minister, Rev. Hargraves, who extended the unfortunate man the consolation of religion.
His brothers and only son having been summoned were at his bedside, his sister and remaining brother not arriving until a few minutes after his death, then ensued a scene so affecting that it would touch with pity the hardest of hearts. The heart broken sister and one other woman in a saloon, surrounded by rough men at the dead hour of midnight, praying and weeping over the dead body of her unfortunate brother, was a sad and pathetic sight that will not soon be forgotten.
Source: Crawfordsville Daily Wednesday, 24 February 1892
A special to The Journal from Wingate this afternoon gives the particulars of a terrible accident which overtook Wm Wilhite, who until recently sold coal oil from his wagon here and who is known to nearly everyone in this city and Darlington. Wilhite was at New Richmond and wished to leave the town on the local freight which pulled out at eleven o’clock this morning. He arrived at the station after the train had started and tried to board the caboose at the front instead of the rear end. In some way his foot slipped and he was thrown under the wheels. One leg was cut entirely off between the thigh and knew and his head terribly crushed. He was picked up at once and medical aid summoned. At noon he was still alive but no hope of his recovery was entertained. Mr. Wilhite has a divorced wife and a son living in this city and has many friends who will be grieved to learn of his horrible fate. He was here until a few days ago when he left for other points. He was always a pleasant man, and although his marital relations were not of a pleasant character, he had many worthy and estimable traits.