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Ottumwa tri-weekly courier, May 25, 1912 DEATH CALLS W. S. PARKER TO REWARD Ticket Agent of Union Depot Died Last Night at 10:15 at Home In Railway Service 31 Years.

FUNERAL WILL BE HELD TOMORROW

Remains Will be Taken to Mt. Pleasant, Former Home of Deceased, for Burial Ill for a Year.

William Sullivan Parker, for twenty one year’s ticket agent of the Burlington and Rock Island railways in Ottumwa, died last night at 10:15 o'clock at his home, 540 West Fourth Street. An illness of one year's duration which last February became serious, caused the death of this highly regarded veteran in the railroad service. The funeral services will be held tomorrow morning at 9:45 o'clock at the First Congregational church, conducted by Rev. Malcom Dana, the pastor, and Rev. W. H. Hormel, of the East End Presbyterian church. The remains will be taken on Burlington No. 178 at 11:35 a. m., to Mt. Pleasant, the former home of Mr. Parker. Private funeral services will be held there in the afternoon. The remains will be interred in the family plot, beside the remains of the infant son, who died twenty-five years ago. The pall bearers will be Claude Myers, Will Harrod, A. L. Reynolds, J. M. Sherman, C. W. Messenger and George Haw. A Veteran of the Road,Mr. Parker had been in the railway service for thirty-one years. He was born in Richmond, Va., in October, 1861, and was just twenty years of age when he accepted his first position with the railroad company. On September 3, 1881 he became ticket agent of the Burlington station at Danville, Iowa. After a short stay there he was transferred to Fairfield, Iowa. He made several changes of residence during the first years of his service, the company advancing him at every opportunity. His first position in Ottumwa was in the year of 1882, when he worked for a short time in the Burlington yards. Mr. Parker was then transferred to Mt. Pleasant as ticket agent. This station he held for nine years, until his coming to the Ottumwa Union depot in 1891. He was married June 18, 1884, at Mt. Pleasant, to Miss Marlon Scott of Salem. Mr. Parker's twenty-one years of service in Ottumwa has been most faithful. When advised by physicians that he should give up his position, he steadfastly refused to do so and performed his duties until a few months ago. His interests had been the company's interests. His abilities were recognized by the higher officials of the road, who deeply regret the loss of such an able employee.

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Ottumwa tri-weekly courier, September 07, 1912 MAN KILLED ON MILWAUKEE ROAD JAKE WILLAMON OF RUTLEDGE JAKE WILLAMON OF RUTLEDGE FOUND TODAY With a compound fracture of the left arm and leg and generally bruised about the head and body, the lifeless remains of a man identified by friends as Jake Willamon of Rutledge were found on the Milwaukee tracks north of Ottumwa this morning. The scene of the fatality was Eldridge's crossing east of Rutledge on the Milwaukee cut off. Death was apparently instantaneous for the nature of the bruises of the head man denotes that he was given a terrific blow and thrown against the cattle guards alongside the crossing. The first knowledge of the accident was gained when an east bound train crew this morning discovered the body by the side of the right of way and notified the dispatcher at the junction. The dispatcher immediately notified the Rutledge operator to have the section force look out for the body and later the section crew picked up the remains which were afterward brought to the Sullivan morgue here. Three men from Rutledge came to the morgue later in the morning to view the remains with the hope of identifying them. They identified the body as that of Jake Willamon, a miner of Rutledge. It is supposed that he had fallen asleep when returning home on the train last evening from Ottumwa and was carried by the station, and in walking back home met his death. The real manner of his death is unknown. His body was purple from its hard usage. Ben Willamon, a son of the dead man, called at the Sullivan morgue this afternoon and stated that his father was not employed underground, although coal mining was his pursuit, but usually worked at development of coal lands, and that the property he wished to see about last night had to do with a new mine. The young man also said that his father was accustomed like some other men of Rutledge, to catch a Milwaukee freight train home from Ottumwa, and that he thought his parent had boarded a freight train and when going through Rutledge it was perhaps running too fast to get off safely, thus riding though the town until he could safely alight from the train. Thus he supposed his father was killed. The young man was too much overcome with the shock of his father's death to give many details about him, and said that two sons and two daughters aside from his wife survive him at Rutledge. Coroner Slaught will hold an inquest tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock in the Sullivan undertaking rooms.

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Ottumwa tri-weekly courier, October 10, 1912 UNKNOWN MAN KILLED BY TRAIN SUPPOSED TO BE HENRY TURNER OF MORLEY, IOWA; STRUCK WHILE CROSSING BRIDGE.

An unknown man, who is supposed to be Henry Turner of Morley, Iowa, was struck by Milwaukee passenger No. 12 at 12:10 o'clock this morning on the race bridge at the foot of Court street and received injuries which proved fatal. The victim was hit while in the center of the bridge and was hurled to the opposite bank of the race. He was rushed to the Ottumwa hospital where he died an hour later. The home of the victim is not definitely known but is thought to be in Morley, Iowa. He had on his person a letter sent to George Sholleman from Olin, Iowa, addressed to Henry Turner, Morley, Iowa. The letter contained a photograph of a cowboy standing in front of a cabin. He also had on his person a receipt from an express company for a suit case which Henry Turner had checked to Kansas City from Morley. This brief bit of information leads the police to believe that his home is in Morley. George Sholleman who had sent the postcard in the letter was communicated with by the officers for information concerning the victim and he stated in a return telegram that he thought his home was in Memphis, Tenn. It is the general belief that Turner was headed for Kansas City or had intentions of departing for Ottumwa for that place. He had expressed his suit case to Kansas City. An examination at the hospital showed that the man had been struck ln the back and received internal injuries which caused his death. He also had both legs broken and received many other injuries. He was unconscious when picked up by the train¬men and never regained consciousness. In spite of all the medical aid the man could not be restored to consciousness. The body will be held for a short time and an effort will be made to locate relatives.  

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Ottumwa tri-weekly courier, November 16, 1912 JOHN GATES IS KILLED BY TRAIN PACKING H0USE MAN THOUGHT TO HAVE BEEN STRUCK BY EXTRA FREIGHT TRAIN.

NOTICED BY ENGINEER

John Fitzpatrick of Burlington Saw Lifeless Form Laying Near Track—Found By the Yard Crew.

John Gates, a truck farmer who has been residing on the Andrew Herman farm, east of the city for the past year, met death this morning about 6 o'clock by a Burlington freight train, while on his way to work at the John Morrell Co., packing plant. Mr. Gates left home this morning a little earlier than usual, stating that he wanted to see a man before going to work at 7 o'clock. From marks on Gates' body it is evident that he attempted to get off the track, but the pilot beam on the engine struck him before he was able to clear his way. Gates' head was badly smashed and his left leg was broken. No other injuries were found on the body. Mr. Gates is survived by his wife, two sons Will and Emery, and one daughter Miss Clara. Also two brothers J. W., and W. S. Gates, and two sisters Mrs. Rosie Swope and Mrs. Lillian Swope, all of this city. The deceased was 38 years of age and has lived in Wapello County for about twenty years. The funeral services will be announced later. The engine crew on Burlington No. 10, which left the Union depot at 7:15, is thought to have been the first to notice the lifeless body of Mr. Gates. John Fitzpatrick of Burlington, who was engineer of No. 10 dropped a note at Agency, telling them that he noticed the body of a man lying between the north and south tracks east of Ottumwa. The agent at Agency immediately notified the Ottumwa yard office, which in turn notified Coroner Slaught. The north side switching crew started out in search of the body. The crew discovered the man's body in Riverview, just east of the Rock Island underground crossing. The remains were picked up and brought to Vine Street and later removed to the Sullivan undertaking establishment, where an inquest will be held late this afternoon or evening.

AUTOMOBILES

WILL HAVE AN AUTO FUNERAL
CHARLES F. SMITH, MACHINIST, WILL HAVE LAST REQUEST GRANTED. 40 CAR PROCESSION
Four Garages of City Will Place Autos in Funeral—Gray Car With Draperies Will Serve as Pall
—Died Yesterday. (From Saturday's Daily.)
In compliance with his request just before he went to the operating table in the last resort to save his life,
Charles F. Smith, aged thirty-seven years, chief machinist at the Ottumwa Auto Co., will have an automobile
funeral tomorrow afternoon. Forty automobiles from four garages of the city will be in the funeral procession.
Mr. Smith died at the Ottumwa hospital yesterday afternoon at 3:30 o'clock despite an operation for appendicitis
performed twelve days ago. He had been a resident of Ottumwa for thirty years and was one of the best known
automobile men in the city. The funeral will be held tomorrow afternoon at 2 o'clock at the home, 1034 West Main Street and at. 3 o'clock at the First Christian church. Rev. Edwin Priest, the pastor will conduct the services. Music will be furnished by the church choir. The pall bearers will be John Lewis, Oscar Miller, W. M. Evans, John Lunkley, Jason Leason and Charles Stoker. Mr. Smith had stated several times in conversation with his employer, H. L. Bell, that should he get killed or die while in his employee, he wanted an automobile funeral. Mr. Smith declared that he did not want to be carried to his last resting place in a hearse. Mr. Bell of the Ottumwa Auto Co., with the assistance of the Reeves Auto Co., the Iowa Auto Sales Co., and the Agee Auto Co., will carry out the request in as detailed a manner as possible. It will be the first automobile funeral ever held in Ottumwa. A gray auto draped heavily in gray broad cloth will carry the remains in a gray casket to the cemetery. Preceding the funeral car will be the minister's, singers and pall bearer’s cars and the remaining automobiles will follow, carrying the bereaved family and the sorrowing friends.
Was Born in Bloomfield.
Mr. Smith was born in Bloomfield, Iowa, December 22, 1874 and came to Ottumwa when seven years of age. He learned the machinists trade and for the past three years has been chief machinist of the Ottumwa Auto Co. He was a most faithful and dependable man. His understanding of automobiles made his services invaluable to his employers. He leaves his wife, Carrie, his mother Mrs. Mary C. Smith, two brothers, Ernest and Russell and three sisters, Mrs. Blanch Young, Mrs. Laurence Sallee, and Miss Stella Smith, all of Ottumwa. Mr. Smith was a member of the O. U. W. lodge and his brother members will perform their ritualistic services at the grave in the Ottumwa cemetery. The deceased was well known throughout the city and leaves hundreds of friends who will deeply mourn
his death.

The First Christian church was packed with people at the funeral of Charles F. Smith Sunday afternoon.
Fifty automobiles were in the funeral procession. The long procession reached the church from the residence, 1034 West Main Street about 3 o'clock. The remains borne in their gray casket, reposed on gray pall placed high upon the funeral car. A gray broadcloth robe covered the entire pall. The six pallbearers. John Lewis. Oscar Miller, W.
M. Evans. John Lunkley, Jason Leason and Charles Stoker, carried the casket into and out of the church upon their
shoulders.