Cherokee Sentinel, Dec. 20, 1907, page 2:
Joe Atkinson Killed
While at Work on the Scammon Switch Crew He is Killed by Falling From a Coal Car
While working on the Scammon switch crew last Saturday night Brakeman Joe Atkinson was killed.
How the accident happened no one will ever know, as the crew were all near the engine while he was at the end of the string of cars. They had completed their work at Scammon and had started home. They had only one switch to make at east Mackie. Seven cars were pushed in on that switch and Joe was on the first car in. Brakeman Dan Smith cut the cars off and threw the switch in line. He got on the engine and gave Engineer Church a "high ball,: but Church not seeing Joe asked where he was. Conductor Maggard nor Fireman Leverton had not seen him so they whistled for him. When he did not show up, they went to look for him.
On arriving at the last car they found him with his foot caught in the trust-red which held the brake-beam in place, while his head and body was hanging beneath the brake rods. He had been dragged in this position for six or seven car lengths, and the bones in his chest and shoulders were completely riddled.
How he came to fall is a mystery. His lantern was still light (sic) and was on the bend of the car at the side of the brake. The only theory advanced was that in trying to set the brake his glove had been wet and his hand had slipped causing him to fall. It is a strange thing that his feet should have caught the way they did.
The body was removed and brought here at once.
Obituary
Joseph Wright Atkinson was born in County Durham, England, on January 10, 1877, and died near Cherokee, Kansas, on December 14, 1907, aged 30 years, 11 months and 4 days.
He came with his parents and located in Cherokee, and has spent most of his life here. He was a jolly, jovial natured fellow, who made a friend of everyone he came in contact with.
He was married last spring to Miss Anna Chesser. Besides the widow he leaves his mother, Aunt Fannie Atkinson; two brothers, Tom and Steve, the former a conductor and the latter a brakeman; two sisters, Mrs. Harry Lamb of Scammon and Miss May of this city.
He belonged to the Odd Fellows and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. He had $300 insurance in the former and $1350 in the Trainmen.
Funeral services were held at the M.E. church on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock under the auspices of the above orders, and interment made in the Cherokee cemetery.
We will volunteer the assertion that there was not a better liked railroad man in all of Cherokee than Joe Atkinson.
Contributed by Cheryl White
Joe Atkinson Killed
While at Work on the Scammon Switch Crew He is Killed by Falling From a Coal Car
While working on the Scammon switch crew last Saturday night Brakeman Joe Atkinson was killed.
How the accident happened no one will ever know, as the crew were all near the engine while he was at the end of the string of cars. They had completed their work at Scammon and had started home. They had only one switch to make at east Mackie. Seven cars were pushed in on that switch and Joe was on the first car in. Brakeman Dan Smith cut the cars off and threw the switch in line. He got on the engine and gave Engineer Church a "high ball,: but Church not seeing Joe asked where he was. Conductor Maggard nor Fireman Leverton had not seen him so they whistled for him. When he did not show up, they went to look for him.
On arriving at the last car they found him with his foot caught in the trust-red which held the brake-beam in place, while his head and body was hanging beneath the brake rods. He had been dragged in this position for six or seven car lengths, and the bones in his chest and shoulders were completely riddled.
How he came to fall is a mystery. His lantern was still light (sic) and was on the bend of the car at the side of the brake. The only theory advanced was that in trying to set the brake his glove had been wet and his hand had slipped causing him to fall. It is a strange thing that his feet should have caught the way they did.
The body was removed and brought here at once.
Obituary
Joseph Wright Atkinson was born in County Durham, England, on January 10, 1877, and died near Cherokee, Kansas, on December 14, 1907, aged 30 years, 11 months and 4 days.
He came with his parents and located in Cherokee, and has spent most of his life here. He was a jolly, jovial natured fellow, who made a friend of everyone he came in contact with.
He was married last spring to Miss Anna Chesser. Besides the widow he leaves his mother, Aunt Fannie Atkinson; two brothers, Tom and Steve, the former a conductor and the latter a brakeman; two sisters, Mrs. Harry Lamb of Scammon and Miss May of this city.
He belonged to the Odd Fellows and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. He had $300 insurance in the former and $1350 in the Trainmen.
Funeral services were held at the M.E. church on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock under the auspices of the above orders, and interment made in the Cherokee cemetery.
We will volunteer the assertion that there was not a better liked railroad man in all of Cherokee than Joe Atkinson.
Contributed by Cheryl White
Cherokee Sentinel, Dec. 20, 1907, page 2:
Joe Atkinson Killed
While at Work on the Scammon Switch Crew He is Killed by Falling From a Coal Car
While working on the Scammon switch crew last Saturday night Brakeman Joe Atkinson was killed.
How the accident happened no one will ever know, as the crew were all near the engine while he was at the end of the string of cars. They had completed their work at Scammon and had started home. They had only one switch to make at east Mackie. Seven cars were pushed in on that switch and Joe was on the first car in. Brakeman Dan Smith cut the cars off and threw the switch in line. He got on the engine and gave Engineer Church a "high ball,: but Church not seeing Joe asked where he was. Conductor Maggard nor Fireman Leverton had not seen him so they whistled for him. When he did not show up, they went to look for him.
On arriving at the last car they found him with his foot caught in the trust-red which held the brake-beam in place, while his head and body was hanging beneath the brake rods. He had been dragged in this position for six or seven car lengths, and the bones in his chest and shoulders were completely riddled.
How he came to fall is a mystery. His lantern was still light (sic) and was on the bend of the car at the side of the brake. The only theory advanced was that in trying to set the brake his glove had been wet and his hand had slipped causing him to fall. It is a strange thing that his feet should have caught the way they did.
The body was removed and brought here at once.
Obituary
Joseph Wright Atkinson was born in County Durham, England, on January 10, 1877, and died near Cherokee, Kansas, on December 14, 1907, aged 30 years, 11 months and 4 days.
He came with his parents and located in Cherokee, and has spent most of his life here. He was a jolly, jovial natured fellow, who made a friend of everyone he came in contact with.
He was married last spring to Miss Anna Chesser. Besides the widow he leaves his mother, Aunt Fannie Atkinson; two brothers, Tom and Steve, the former a conductor and the latter a brakeman; two sisters, Mrs. Harry Lamb of Scammon and Miss May of this city.
He belonged to the Odd Fellows and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. He had $300 insurance in the former and $1350 in the Trainmen.
Funeral services were held at the M.E. church on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock under the auspices of the above orders, and interment made in the Cherokee cemetery.
We will volunteer the assertion that there was not a better liked railroad man in all of Cherokee than Joe Atkinson.
Contributed by Cheryl White
Joe Atkinson Killed
While at Work on the Scammon Switch Crew He is Killed by Falling From a Coal Car
While working on the Scammon switch crew last Saturday night Brakeman Joe Atkinson was killed.
How the accident happened no one will ever know, as the crew were all near the engine while he was at the end of the string of cars. They had completed their work at Scammon and had started home. They had only one switch to make at east Mackie. Seven cars were pushed in on that switch and Joe was on the first car in. Brakeman Dan Smith cut the cars off and threw the switch in line. He got on the engine and gave Engineer Church a "high ball,: but Church not seeing Joe asked where he was. Conductor Maggard nor Fireman Leverton had not seen him so they whistled for him. When he did not show up, they went to look for him.
On arriving at the last car they found him with his foot caught in the trust-red which held the brake-beam in place, while his head and body was hanging beneath the brake rods. He had been dragged in this position for six or seven car lengths, and the bones in his chest and shoulders were completely riddled.
How he came to fall is a mystery. His lantern was still light (sic) and was on the bend of the car at the side of the brake. The only theory advanced was that in trying to set the brake his glove had been wet and his hand had slipped causing him to fall. It is a strange thing that his feet should have caught the way they did.
The body was removed and brought here at once.
Obituary
Joseph Wright Atkinson was born in County Durham, England, on January 10, 1877, and died near Cherokee, Kansas, on December 14, 1907, aged 30 years, 11 months and 4 days.
He came with his parents and located in Cherokee, and has spent most of his life here. He was a jolly, jovial natured fellow, who made a friend of everyone he came in contact with.
He was married last spring to Miss Anna Chesser. Besides the widow he leaves his mother, Aunt Fannie Atkinson; two brothers, Tom and Steve, the former a conductor and the latter a brakeman; two sisters, Mrs. Harry Lamb of Scammon and Miss May of this city.
He belonged to the Odd Fellows and Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen. He had $300 insurance in the former and $1350 in the Trainmen.
Funeral services were held at the M.E. church on Tuesday afternoon at 2:00 o'clock under the auspices of the above orders, and interment made in the Cherokee cemetery.
We will volunteer the assertion that there was not a better liked railroad man in all of Cherokee than Joe Atkinson.
Contributed by Cheryl White
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