Death in Western Park

[W. Gray]

The following report of an accident which occurred near Western Park in the north-west part of this county Monday evening of this week, are furnished us by Mr. J. E. Hudson, who resides in the east edge of Butler county, near where the accident occurred.

It appears that two brothers aged 16 and 19 years respectively, named Dickens, were out in the timber hauling logs to the mill at Western Park, and while loading a large log on the wagon, they were both standing behind—one driving the team with which they were rolling the log by having a chain wrapped around the log and fastened to the double-trees, just as the log was about to break on the upper ends of the skids, the chain broke letting it back with great force, passing entirely over one of the young men killing him instantly and catching the other under it running over his legs, and stopping across his hips, holding him to the ground.

It is horrible to think of the position of this young man, lying there under that log unable to free himself, after seeing the log pass clear over his brother and crush him. He says he thinks it was about 2 o'clock in the afternoon when the accident befell them, and he remained there until about half past four, when a party of young people, on the road to this city, from Butler county, to attend the celebration and Masonic and Odd Fellows Festival today, came upon the horrible scene, and restored the horrified young man to liberty, although he was so frightfully injured that he had to be carried to a neighboring house in company with his dead brother, who was buried yesterday.

Elk County Ledger, Howard City, Kansas, July 7, 1877.

I think this story was hurriedly written by the editor to meet a print deadline. It was squeezed into one paragraph with type smaller than the surrounding news stories. The average sentence length is around 52 words.

The newspaper was printed on Friday evening for a Saturday deadline. The accident happened on Monday. This probably would have been fast breaking news for the time.

[Diane Amberg]

Isn't the flowery language interesting..and telling why the rescuers happened to be there. Great stuff.Thanks.