SHARKEY, John - Putnam

At 2:30 o’clock this afternoon John Sharkey was run over by one of Cooper Bros omnibuses and instantly killed.  Driver Thomas Bivens had backed up to the platform and left a boy name Mathias to watch his horses while he went a few steps away to receive the luggage of some passengers. One of the horses became frightened at the cars and made a lunge, frightening the boy so that he ran out of the way. Bivens made a desparate effort to catch up with the frightened team but was knocked down and had a narrow escape from being badly injured. Four engines were at the depot, all blowing off steam and Sharkey, who is foreman of a Big Four section and was working with his men at frogs of the Big Four and Momon crossing failed to hear the “bus until it was upon him and straightened up just as the horses struck him, the wheels of the bus passing over his body.  He lived but two or three minutes and was carried to his residence south of the DFepot where the coroner is holding an inquest at this hour.  It is thought death resulted from the back being broken.  Mr. Sharkey has been a resident of North Greencastle for about seven years, was widely known and highly respected by all his acquaintances. He was a prominent member of the Catholic Church.  He leaves a wife and nine children without means of support and the Sun  has started a fund for their relief. The following amounts were subscribed in a few minutes by gentlemen who came into the office.  

HC Allen … $2

JR Lothsbar … $2

James Watson …50

Leonard Paris … 50

GH Brown … 3.00

John Piercy … 3.00

Dr. Parkhurst … 5.00

JK Langdon  … 1.00

AT Rockway …50

Charles Hammomd . 1.00

Sun & Employees … 4.00

Cooper Bros. rigs for funeral .. $20.00

T Bivens … 1.00

Dennis Ball  . 1.00

James McCoy ..25

G Murphy .. 1.00

Aby Heber .. 1.00

Alf Curtis ..50

Ed Vanlandingham .. 50

Lee Strange 1.00

RS Hall .. 5.00

Joe Baker … 50

RL O’Hair .. 1.00

Mrs. Dr. John … 2.00

After killing Sharkey, the horses ran across the tracks to Tom Murphy’s porch, thence north along the Monon tracks and embankment to Bayne’s lumber yard and only stopping when the bus was tightly jammed against the caboose of a freight train.  One of the horses was badly injured but the “bus received but slight damage.”

Source: The Greencastle Daily Sun Friday, April 18, 1890 p 1

John Sharkey was sober, honest and industrious. Such men are good citizens and deserve well of their fellowmen. With so large a family he was of course, unable even with the utmost frugality and industry to lay up any money.  The little children need help.  The subscriptions yesterday amounted to $57.75. The following amounts were subscribed today some of the subscribers coming to the office and a part of the list being handed in by Mr. George Cooper.  John Dowling 1.00; George Kelly 2.00; Cash 1.50; JH Yost, Cincinnati, $1.00; Cannon & Sandy 3.00; Maggie Hannafin .50 ; Alexander Martin 2.00; JP Allen 2.00; John Cawley 5.00; John Allee 1.00; Charles Zimmerman .50; Joe Vancleve 1.00; Charles Keifer 1.00; LM Hanna 1.00; Dick Roberts and John Marley both .25; JE Camper and TM Frank both .50; CW Eitlejorg 1.00; JV Long, Phil Lane; Taylor Ceve; BF Hardwick; Enose A. Wood; Thomas Davenport; PE Bourne; Wm. Piercy; E Melchier all .50 each; Thomas Abrams 5.00; JH Harrison 1.00; Hi Rudisill .25; GW Grubb 1.60; John Lee, FA Hays, Albert Allen, MM Bachelder & Co all 1.00 each; DW Alspaugh, JE Dunlavy, Cash, Hughes Bros, EC Layton, Charles Johnson and John Haspel all .50; $1 from Capt JF Fee; Jesse E. Lee; Robert Higert, DL Southard and Howard Briggs. $200 from FP Huestis.

Source: Greencastle Daily Sat April 19 1890 p 1

The Sharkey relief fund up to last night is $109.25. The following subscriptions were sent in today: I Vermillion and JW Bower both 1.00.

Source: Greencastle Daily Sun April 22 1890 p 1

Mrs. Sharkey has returned from Indianapolis and was seen yesterday evening. She says that the rumors in reference to her bringing suit against Cooper Bros are false and that she has no intention of doing so and expressed a willingness to accept whatever contributions might be raised. The fund now amounts to $113.75. Send in your subscriptions.

Source: Greencastle Daily Sun April 24, 1890 p 1

Mrs. Sharkey has accepted the money collected on the subscriptions to the fund but with the understanding that it does not release whatever claim she may have on Cooper Bros. Quite a number who are on the Sun’s list have no paid in the amounts subscribed and it is highly important that they do so at once. The following subscriptions were handed in by John Riley yesterday; John Riley 1.00; Sol Henry .25; John Cook .25; Tom Vancleve .25; Throop & Throop .25; ET Chaffee 2.00; Tom Hartley .50; Jackson Boyd .25; Harris & Co $1.00; EL Harris .25; J Sudranski .25; TB Farmer .50; John Maloney .50; C Leuteke 1.00; Dan Rolland .25; John Mahoney .25 cash .25. Total among now is $122.75.