Allen County IN Archives News.....Under The Car Wheels - Joseph Roberts Meets With a Fatal Accident August 14, 1899
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Jan Cortez http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00020.html#0004939 June 11, 2010, 5:51 pm

Fort Wayne Journal Gazette August 14, 1899
UNDER THE CAR WHEELS

JOSEPH ROBERTS MEETS WITH A FATAL ACCIDENT

HEAD CAUGHT BETWEEN WHEEL AND RAIL, CAUSING A SERIUS CONTUSION TO RIGHT 
TEMPLE, WHICH LATER CAUSED HIS DEATH


Joseph H. Roberts, a colored barber, who resided at 32 xxxxx street, was run 
down by an East Lewis street car last evening at the corner of Lewis and 
Clinton streets and received injuries that caused his death, at 11:30 o'clock 
last night.

During the afternoon Roberts had been imbibing pretty freely, it is said, of 
the flowing bowl, and as he started to cross the street car   xxxxx at the 
corner mentioned he did not notice an approaching car.  The motorman slackened 
speed but did not stop the car, as Roberts had plenty of time to cross.  Just 
as the car was upon him he stepped in front of it, and was knocked to the 
ground.  His hand fell upon the rail and the people standing in the 
nieghborhood who saw the accident thought at first that the man would be 
ground to pieces.  His head would have been mashed to a pulp had the motorman 
not succeeded in stopping the car.

When Roberts fell he was stunned, as his head struck the ground.  The fact 
that he was partially under the influence of liquor also caused him to be in a 
dazed condition.  When he was knocked to the ground his head lay upon the 
rail, and before the car could be brought to a stand still his head was caught 
between the rail and the wheel, but the car was then stopped.  The force of 
the wheel pushing his head against the ground caused a small stone to enter 
the right temple, making a serious contusion.  The head was pushed along the 
track for a few inches and his right ear was partially torn fro the head.  He 
was picked up in an unconscius condition and conveyed to Hope hospital, where 
Dr. Banning attended him.  He was unconscious until 11 o'clock last night, 
when he regained partial consciousness for a short time but soon became 
unconscious again and died.  In addition to the contusion over the temple 
there was a larg gash over the eye which the doctor sewed up.  The skull was 
not fractured.

The police stated last night that three men who had witnessed the accident 
claim the Roberts did not fall in front of the car accidently, but that he 
tried to end his own life, and he had been on a spree for some time.

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