Hamilton County OhArchives News.....Crushed to Death November 15, 1898
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Tammy Kroger thekrogers@aol.com December 29, 2006, 4:02 pm

Cincinnati Times Star November 15, 1898
“Crushed to death, end of venerable W. J. Richardson, caught between barges in 
the river.  The dead, Warren J. Richardson, crushed to death, injured Ben 
Heink, ankle broken…Warren J. Richardson, the famous old “East End Indian 
Doctor” known all over the city, met death in the tragic form early Tuesday 
morning.  He is a patriarchal old character of many eccentricities and for 
years has been a familiar figure well known to succeeding generations of east 
end residents.  He had for years collected old herbs and roots from which he 
had extracted drugs and crude medicines which he peddled about the city  He 
dressed in an eccentric manner and his peculiar appearance caused the children 
to call him “The Indian Doctor” and by that he has been known for a score of 
years.  He was seventy two years of age, married and lived with his brother 
Archie who is 69 years of age (Archie was actually only 49), in an old home 
which they occupied for nearly half a century at 2427 Eastern Avenue.  The two 
brothers for months past have been collecting the wreckage of old and 
abandoned and almost useless barges of every description and these they have 
moored, in a rude raft at the foot of St. Andrews.  They have added to the 
fleet from time to time and had quite a formidable lot of old barges.  Tuesday 
morning they decided to transfer the fleet in a place near their home where 
they could get at the timber more conveniently.  A strong current was flowing 
along the Ohio shore when the two old brothers cut the cables about 7:30 
o’clock and allowed the barges to drift rapidly down the river.  A small skiff 
had been attached to the rear end of the fleet and when they decided to land 
near Lewis Street.  Warren entered the skiff with a guiding rope in his hand.  
Near where they desired to make a landing was a large fleet of barges and the 
current proved too powerful, for the old man’s shattered strength.  He 
struggled desperately with the oars to reach a safe portion when he found that 
he could make little no headway against the current, but rapidly drifted 
between his own fleet and the moored barges.  He realized his awful 
predicament but not in time to benefit himself.  By this time both brothers 
were shouting wildly for help and people summoned by their shrieks were 
running up and down the river bank, in helpless dismay.  No boat could put out 
to their assistance, and a moment later the watchers on shore saw to their 
horror the tiny little boat disappear between the towering barges of both 
fleets.  There was one last heart rendering shriek of long drown out agony and 
they saw that old Archie had made a final strenuous effort to go to his 
brothers’ assistance, but he failed and had only time to save his own life.  
The old man’s skiff had been caught, squarely between the fleets and crushed 
like a fragile eggshell.  His body had been frightfully mutilated and was 
crushed almost beyond recognition, but there was still some evidence of life.  
In the meantime Ben Heink an employee of the Mowry Car Wheel Foundry Works had 
heard cries for help and with a bold leap attempted to come to their aid.  He 
miscalculated the distance and fell on the supports of a land barge, wrenching 
his right ankle so severely that he could not stand erect.  In the meantime 
the raft of barges on which Archie Richardson was standing broke loose, just 
as Heink had reached it and drifted swiftly down with the current.  Archie had 
managed to draw his brother from the water and with all three helpless men on 
it the raft floated on down the river until the shriek of Archie and Heink 
attracted the attention of Captain William Culver of Fire Company # 11 as the 
raft reached a point nearly opposite the Fulton Police station, at Vance 
Street.  Captain Culver hastily procured a skiff and rowed out to their 
assistance.  He managed, with some difficulty, to take the men off into his 
skiff and old Warren Richardson was removed to the Eleventh’s engine house, 
where he died a few minutes later.  Archie was uninjured and was removed to 
his home at Columbus and Collins Avenue.  His ankle was broken.  Richardson’s 
body was removed to the morgue in Patrol #6.”

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