Hillsdale County MI Archives Obituaries.....HILLS, William January 27, 1891 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Eldon Hills ehills@cass.net March 16, 2006, 11:39 am Hillsdale Standard - 3 Feb. 1891 PLUNGED T0 DEATH !! William Hills falls from a Mackinaw trestle and crushes his skull. The terrible accident suggest a sad lesson to thoughtless young man. William Hills, a young man, twenty five years of age, who was associated with his brothers in the brick and tile business near Waldron, fell from a trestle on the Mackinaw two miles South of Hudson Tuesday afternoon and was instantly killed. When his cousin, George Rowley, who was walking on the track a little behind him, reached the place where he lay on the hard ground, life was extinct. The young man had fallen head foremost and being very solid built, the weight of his body had crushed his head into a jelly and his brains had oozed out into his cap. The body was allowed to remain where it had fallen until Dr. Nix arrived from Hudson and pronounced an inquest unnecessary. Then it was placed in H, D. Bailey's wagon and taken to the home of the young man, where he lived with his mother and several brothers. The victim of the sad occupancies had been in Hudson during the forenoon with his cousin, who lived not far from where the accident happened. They were on their way home, young Hills intending to pass the night at Rowley's and start a kiln of bricks for Gill & Gillman, near Mallory Lake, the following day. He probably would have lived to carry out his plans if during their few hours stay in this village if the pair, under the plea of "having a good time" had not fallen into the indiscretion which is, alas, too often the ruin of otherwise worthy young men. A man talked with the young men just as they were leaving Hudson said both men were intoxicated and were seen later on the railroad scuffling with one another as they went along. Mrs. Freiss and Mrs. Keller, who were looking out of the window of their home as they walked over the trestle, said that young Hills was several feet ahead of Rowley and was walking on the outside of the rails on the East side of the trestle. Suddenly they saw him stumble and take several quick steps forward as to catch himself and then he seemed to lose his balance and to their horror, plunged headlong to the ground. The news of the terrible accident was received with profound sorrow at Waldron where the young man bore a good reputation for industry and integrity and had many friends. Source: Hudson Gazette 30 Jan. 1891 WILLIAM HILLS OF WALDRON FALLS AND BREAKS HIS SKULL Three times within the pass few weeks, our citizens have been horrified by accidents on the railroads, two of the cases being fatal. The last occurred on the Mackinaw and was instantly killed. Mr. Hills was a resident of Wright, and employed at the brick and tile yard of his brothers, near Waldron. He is described as a steady, industrious young man. 25 to 30 years old, who seldom left his work. Last Monday however, he visited his cousin, George Rowley, in South Pittsford and the next day the two came to Hudson. On their way back to Rowley's, they followed the railroad and it was near the residence of Mrs. Bruen, three and one half mile South of Hudson, where the accident occurred. Mrs. Keller and Mrs. Freeze saw the two men start to cross the trestle. They were two thirds of the way across, when young Hills stumbled and made an effort to recover his balance, but failed in doing so, and fell over the side of the trestle. He was a heavy man, his weight being probably 200 pounds and as he struck the frozen ground squarely on top of his head, the skull was crushed in, bruised and battered. A message was dispatched to Hudson and Dr, Nix reached the spot as soon as possible, but the evidence was so conclusive that he advised them to take the body home, as an inquest would be unnecessary. The Hills family is highly respected in the community where they reside and the sudden taking off of one of the members in full strength of early manhood will be sincerely regretted. Source: Hillsdale Standard 3 Feb. 1891 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/hillsdale/obits/h/hills830gob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 4.5 Kb