R.D. SNYDER KILLED INSTANTLY (Days Gone By: 1911) A gloom was cast over the joys of the Thanksgiving season by an accident which, without a moment’s warning, brought death to one of our well known citizens and the deepest grief to family and friends. About 7 o’clock Wednesday evening, REUBEN D. SNYDER was finishing up his milk delivery, his last customer being Fred Williams. The milk still stood on the counter of the store as Mr. Snyder walked north toward home and Williams, stepping out of his backdoor, saw him on the walk near the railroad crossing and train No. 14 coming at full speed. Williams did not see the train strike him but the spilled milk showed that he was on the walk in the middle of the track when struck by the eastbound train. His body was thrown about a hundred feet and fell between the two tracks, towards the pickle factory, where it was picked up. It is said, that the engineer saw him but it was too late to stop the train until after it had struck him. Among the first to reach him was his son, Charles Snyder, who with B.L. Rudd was over from Cassopolis hunting that day. He was at the depot waiting for the Local train to take him back and hearing someone was hit by the train he ran there and turning over the body, found it was his father. The remains were taken to Walter’s undertaking rooms, and it was found that while there was little outward disfigurement, almost every bone in the body was broken. Mr. Snyder escaped death the night before at the same crossing only by the narrowest margin, the warning of Mr. Luke being all that saved him. Justice Nash impaneled a coroner’s jury consisting of George Nash, Clark Beardslee, Fred Deidrick, Walt Snider, Bruce Dailey and Ed Gooding. The inquest will be held at 10 a.m. today when the railroad crew can be present. Train No. 1, westbound, had passed the crossing on the further track from Mr. Snyder not five seconds before, the two passing the depot at the same time and it is supposed that seeing this train pass he attributed the noise to it and did not know another train was approaching. It is said there have been nine similar deaths in Marcellus, one before at this crossing
Posted on: Mon, 25 Nov 2013 15:12:41 +0000
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