Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Daniel D. Boots, 1918
15 Sep 2007
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell) 

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BOOTS, DANIEL D.
(22 Aug 1918, Elk City Newspaper, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK)
Lum Anderson of Guthrie, writes Mr. and Mrs. J. C. Anderson, that a sad
accident happened on Sunday the 11th in which Grandpa Boots, father of
Mrs. Daniels, (the latter mother of Mrs. Lum Anderson) was killed.
Several were out on the river to spend the day and when returning to their
cars they went down the rail road track to miss climbing a bank and in
doing so had to cross a small railroad bridge.  It was fenced and high
bluffs on each side, but thought could get out it before any train would
come along, as they could not hear one before starting over.  But all at
once a passenger came around the curve in sight, about two blocks away. 
Some of the party were enabled to get off the bridge.  Lum and little son,
L. Dean, and Mrs. Anderson were on one side, he told her to lie down flat
on the ties and keep her head down.  He then laid down with L. Dean on his
right arm, and the train passed over them.  Grandpa Boots and some of the
other party were on the opposite side of the stringer and were sitting
together holding to each other, and they told Grandpa to lay down.  He
told them he was alright, and for them to look out for themselves.  When
the train came he must have raised up, for it struck him on the side of
the face, and he fell over on one of the ladies, and she could not hold
him, so he fell to the ground, a distance of about fifteen feet.  They
think the passenger train killed him when it struck him, and he was
unconscious and dying when they got to him.  It broke his jaw and teeth
and the bones stuck down in his mouth.  He was eighty-five years old, and
had been very spry for his age.
After the passenger struck the bridge, they stopped a short distance away
and the train crew and a number of passengers came up and assisted them,
and all were so nice to them.  The engineer was a friend and hated it so
much.  Lum said he looked like death, he was so white.  The engineer tried
to stop but could not do so, coming down grade and on a short curve. 
Funeral services were held at Lum's home.  The Odd Fellows acting as pall
bearers.  Grandpa Boots was known to a number of our citizens and formerly
lived near Strong City.