GIBSON, Isaac - Putnam

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GIBSON, Isaac

Source: Sunday Star, Crawfordsville, Indiana, Feb 18, 1901 p 1

Coroner Dennis was called to Linden last night to hold an inquest. Isaac Gibson, a Clover Leaf section foreman, trying to board a Monon train at the Linden junction was thrown beneath the cars and his head was cut off at the shoulders. He was a man of family. The accident happened at 4 o'clock.

Note: Buried Roachdale Indiana

Born: 27 Dec 1867 - Died: 16 Feb 1901

Source: New Richmond Record 21 Feb 1901 p 1

 
Isaac Gibson, 30 years old, was run over and instantly killed at Linden at 4:30 o’clock Saturday afternoon by a southbound Monon freight, his head being completely and cleanly severed from his body, Gibson was a Clover Leaf section hand and operated on the section which begins a little east of Linden and extends some distance west of New Richmond. He had drawn his pay from the pay car on Friday and was laying off duty from Friday till Monday, that he might visit his wife’s sister at Roachdale who was about to die. Freight No. 73 was pulling out south and had gained a headway of about 20 miles an hour and when just in the rear of the Hotel Linden Gibson tried to board the moving freight with the intention of going to Roachdale, when he met his death. He leaves a wife and five children with no means. They are very needy.  It is reported that he was drunk when he attempted to board the moving train, but those who saw him very shortly before the accident have not verified this. The funeral occurred Sunday afternoon, the remains of the mangled man being taken to Roachdale, his old home for burial.  – kbz


Source: Crawfordsville Weekly Journal Friday, 22 February 1901

Saturday afternoon Isaac Gibson, a Clover Leaf section hand, residing at Linden, met a tragic death. Shortly before half past four o’clock a south bound Monon freight passed through Linden and Gibson expressed a determination to board this and go to Roachdale in order to see a sister who had become insane. Accordingly he went a short distance south of the station with the intention of boarding the train after it was under way. It was going faster than he anticipated, however, and when he ran to catch on one of the forward cars, he missed his hold and was struck by the next car, being knocked under the wheels. By some chance his neck fell exactly across the rail and the flange of the wheel cut his head off as smoothly as though it had been done with a sharp ax. The entire train passed over and those who hurried to the spot at once after found the head and trunk separated only by a few inches and almost unmarked. The blood had gushed from the neck and lay in a great pool on the roadway. The remains of the unfortunate man were picked up and conveyed to his home in the town where his distracted wife and five small children were gathered. Coroner Dennis went up in the evening and held an inquest, finding the facts as above stated.




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