Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Hawley, George 1887
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Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net November 20, 2009, 12:48 am

Portland Observer, 10 Aug 1887

A Horrible Death.

Whiskey Has One More Death to Its Credit.

Lyons, August 8th, ’87 – Geo. Hawley, a son of postmaster W. C. Hawley, of this 
place, was run over by the 9:29 passenger train Friday night and mutilated 
almost beyond recognition.  The deceased had been at work for Abraham Keefer, 
in Orange, and had taken a day’s vacation to go to Ionia with others of his 
acquaintance.  While there he became somewhat intoxicated and returned as far 
as this place on the 5 p.m. train.  While here he continued drinking but was 
not noisy or excessively intoxicated.  He started home about half past eight, 
sober enough to walk straight, but showing intoxication.  He was found Saturday 
morning at 8 o’clock in a horribly mutilated condition.  His head, limbs and 
arms were severed from the trunk, while his heart, liver and intestines were 
scattered about along the track for a distance of nearly forty rods.  Coroner 
Curry, of Ionia, was called, who impaneled a jury and adjourned to next 
Wednesday.  The remains were buried Saturday afternoon.  It was a horrible 
sight and terrible lesson.

The young man above referred to was quite well known here, having worked for 
Josiah Dilley and others, and was, we understand, often given to the excessive 
use of intoxicating liquor.  It is impossible to tell when or by what train he 
was killed, or how many trains had run over him.  One theory advanced is that 
he attempted to get upon the freight going east and was run over by that, and 
the passenger train west also ran over his dead body, which was the cause of 
such mutilation.  Any way, the cause of his death was whiskey.


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