Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Fitzgerald, William October 17, 1905
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net May 30, 2010, 9:16 pm

The Ionia Standard, Friday, October 20, 1905
The Fitzgerald family of this city are pursued by a woeful fate, that should 
cause the death of two young sons, by accident on the rails, in such short 
space of time.  William Fitzgerald, employed as a freight brakeman on the Pere 
Marquette, was killed at Grand Ledge, at 3:40 Tuesday a.m.  Two freights were 
in there at same time, switching.  Fitzgerald was on No. 56, going east.  The 
engine drew out two cars from side track, one of which a caboose was sent 
flying alone down main track, to be added to 56, while the other was to be 
attached to the other train.  Fitzgerald was leaning with his back against a 
car on main track, waiting to make the coupling.  The car came down with such 
force that he was knocked down, and thrown under the wheels, which passed over 
left foot and lower leg, upper part of right leg and right shoulder, running 
over the body diagonally lengthwise.

Conductor Glennan, who had been to the office to get his orders, arrived at a 
point opposite the caboose just in time to make the coupling, on the opposite 
side from where a minute later, he found his brakeman dead.  No one saw the 
accident, and just how it occurred will never be known.  There is a difference 
of opinion whether death was caused by shock and injury to back, or wounds 
inflicted by the wheels, or whether both may have contributed.  It is certain 
that wheels of an empty coal car passed over the body, and the wonder is that 
there are no cuts beyond one small laceration near the groin.

It is only three months—and this to a day, since his next elder brother, 
Michael Jr., was killed by an excursion train on West Front Street in this 
city that date being July 16, and the latter October 17.

Geo Endres, Jr., Miles Loftus and Cap. Shumway, a committee of the Eagles, and 
Ed. Fitzgerald, a brother of deceased, went to Grand Ledge on morning and 
returned with the remains on 12:45 train, where they were met by a body of the 
same lodge, who accompanied the lifeless form of their late brother to the 
stricken home.


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