Beckham County, OK - Deaths: Dennis Madison, 1911 
15 August 2008
Submitted by: delma25@pldi.net (Delma Tindell)

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MADISON, DENNIS
(22 Mar 1911, Wednesday, Elk City Record, Elk City, Beckham Co, OK):
Dennis Madison, car inspector was instantly killed while on duty Friday
night at seven o'clock.
No. 91 had pulled in and he was under the engine when the engineer started
up the engine, not knowing that Madison was about.  Both legs were cut
off, both arms were broken, and his skull fractured.  Death was
instantaneous.
He had been a resident of Sayre for ten years, was a prominent member of
the Masonic and Woodman lodges.  He was a married man with a family
(23 Mar 1911, Thursday, Sayre Standard, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Dennis Madison, an employee of the C. R. I. & P. Ry. company, was
instantly killed in the yards in this city Friday evening about 6:30
o'clock.
There was no eye-witness to the accident, and just how it occurred will
always remain a mystery.  Madison was employed by the company as car
inspector at Sayre, and it was while performing his duties that he met his
death.  An eastbound freight train had pulled into the yards and was
standing on sidetrack No. 1.  It had been the custom for the engine to
uncouple and run back on the main track to the water tank.  For some
reason, however, the engine backed up on sidetrack No. 1, where Madison
was walking, and he was run down by the engine.  Both legs were severed
from the body by the engine and his body was rolled under the engine for
considerable distance.
The deceased was about 38 years of age and leaves a wife and four
children, the youngest being 14 months old.  Just eleven days before the
accident he had become a member of the M.W.A. in which he held a policy
for $2,000.
The funeral services were conducted under the auspices of the Masonic
order and the M.W.A., Sunday, and was attended in a body by members of
both orders.
Card of Thanks
We wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to the many friends and neighbors
for the kind assistance and sympathy rendered during our sad bereavement
in the loss of our husband and brother, Dennis Madison.
Lena Madison,
Will Burns,
Annie Burns,
Ed Pope,
Mamie Pope,
Maggie Allbright.
(24 Mar 1911, Friday, Sayre Headlight, Sayre, Beckham Co, OK):
Last Friday evening as No. 91, the west bound freight was making up in the
yard at the Rock Island Depot, Dennis Madison was unfortunately made the
victim of another railroad accident.  As no one about the cars or the yard
saw the accident there can be no positive information as to how it
occurred.  It is believed that Mr. Madison was checking up the train and
there were, at the time, two sets of cars running in opposite directions. 
The wind was blowing a gale and it is believed that Mr. Madison must have
stepped onto the track as the train under engineer McGee bore down on him
and that with the roar of the wind as well as the rumble of the train he
made the mistake of his life and was knocked down and run over.
The nature of the contusions would indicate this.  The left leg was cut
off, the right leg broken in three places, the right arm in three places,
one collar bone broken and the neck dislocated, indicating that one limb
got across the track while the rest of the body was crushed under the
tracks.
Engineer McGee was so thoroughly prostrated by the discovery and the grief
following it that he was unable to take out his train tho no blame
attaches to him.
Dennis Madison has been a resident of Sayre for the past 6 years and has
been an exemplary citizen commanding the respect and esteem of his
neighbors and fellow workmen.
This was evidenced by the numerous and elegant floral tributes with which
the remains and the casket were covered and the large concourse that
attended the last rites at the residence and at the cemetery.  Sayre has
never turned out a large attendance at an occasion of this kind, and it
shows that our people are loyal to the class upon whom devolves their
comfort when travelling, at home or abroad.
He leaves a family consisting of a wife and four children who have the
sympathy of the entire community.  He was a beneficiary member of the
M.W.A. from which organization the widow will receive $2,000.  He was also
a member in good standing in both the I.O.O.F. and Masonic Fraternities,
the funeral services being conducted under the auspices of the Masons on
last Sunday afternoon.

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