The Indianapolis Journal

TWO YOUNG MEN DEAD

LOST THEIR LIVES ON BIG FOUR TRACK NEAR HOYT AVENUE.

Harry Umstaedter and William Wesling Run Over and Crushed by a Freight Car.

WERE SITTING ON THE TRACK

THEY WERE WAITING TO SEE A GAME OF BASEBALL.

Both Young Men Were Sole Support of Their Mothers—Ray Pearson Badly Injured.

—Dead.—

HARRY UMSTAEDTER, twenty years old, 1250 Hoyt avenue, killed outright.

WILLIAM WESLING, nineteen, 1626 Hoyt avenue, died at St. Vincent's Hospital.

—Injured.—

Ray Pearson, Hoyt avenue, arm and foot mashed.

—Escaped.—

Dan McGrath, 1717 Hoyt avenue.

Arthur Brown, Villa and Lexington avenues.

By the death yesterday morning of Harry Umstaedter, 1250 Hoyt avenue, and William Wesling, 1626 Hoyt avenue, sorrow was carried into the homes of two women. The young men lost their lives by being run over by a freight car on the Big Four side track about one hundred feet east of Hoyt avenue. The accident occurred at 9:30 o'clock. The track there is several hundred feet long and it is used for the storage of surplus cars. These cars remain on the track for days and sometimes weeks without being moved.

The heat yesterday seems to have been the direct cause of the loss of life and the injury of Ray Pearson, living on Hoyt avenue, who also came near losing his life. On Sunday it has been the practice for men and boys in the vicinity of the accident to congregate on the commons to watch ball games. They have also been known to assemble there for the purpose of shooting craps, it being out of the way and not in the direct route of policemen.

Yesterday morning Umstaedter, Wesling, Pearson, McGrath, Brown, Otto Beuke, of 1617 Fletcher avenue, and John Anderson, of 1623 Hoyt avenue, made their way to the commons and because of the heat sought the shelter of the freight cars, which it was known were seldom moved.

DANGEROUS POSITIONS.

Umstaedter took a standing position at the end of a freight car, which was the last of a string extending along the side-track for about two squares. McGrath and Brown took seats on the west rail. Wesling sat upon the rail with McGrath and Brown between himself and the last car of the string. Pearson sat on the east rail. Beuke and Anderson were on the track about one hundred feet away from the others.

Without warning the last car was moved by unseen power. Umstaedter, who was leaning against the car, was knocked down. The front trucks of the car passed over his body while it lay between the rails. The rear trucks crushed his chest and head after the car had been in some manner thrown from the rails and ran about thirty feet upon the ties. His body was pinned to the track by the trucks and it was necessary to get the wrecking crew to lift the car before the body could be taken out.

The front trucks of the car ran over Wesling's legs, mashing one and fracturing the other. It was thought by some that the car was derailed by running over Wesling's legs. He was taken at once to St. Vincent's Hospital, where the right leg was amputated near the thigh and the left leg set and incased in plaster bandages. He was unable to survive the shock and died about 5 o'clock.

To the derailing of the car may be, according to witnesses and his own statement to Deputy Coroner Knox, attributed Pearson's slighter injuries. He was sitting on the other rail from that occupied by Wesling, and the car in running off the rails turned slightly away from him, thus giving him more time to get out of the way, but not before his arm and foot were mashed.

A peculiar thing about the accident was that McGrath and Brown, who escaped injury other than very slight bruises, occupied seats on the rail with Wesling and between him and the car.

LARGE CROWD GATHERED.

About the time of the accident young men from all parts of the South Side were assembling on the commons and soon a large crowd had gathered. There was great excitement. Deputy Coroner Knox was early on the scene and secured from each of the witnesses his statement, and all are practically the same.

The derailing of a car is also said to have been caused by a stone which had been placed on the rail under the wheels. This was afterward found to have been mashed. No one knew whether or not a brake on the car was set. It is a common practice by some trainmen to place stones or pieces of wood under the wheels on such tracks rather than get on top of the cars to set brakes.

Beuke and Anderson, who were some distance from the car when the accident happened, had their backs turned at the time and were unable to state just what did occur.

The car was moved by reason of a string of cars having been run on to the switch so fast that when they struck the string already there all were moved. The last car in the lot, which was not coupled to those ahead of it, was forced a distance of about thirty feet, its path being shown by indentations in the ties and roadbed.

Mrs. Wesling, whose husband died about a year ago, and Mrs. Umstaedter, whose son was her only support, were prostrated last night because of the accident. From each was taken the strongest member of the family and upon whom each relied almost wholly for care or support.