OBIT: Joseph ZERN, 1887, Blair County, PA

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A FATAL ACCIDENT.
The Manner in which Joseph Zern Met His Death Tuesday.  

About eight months ago Joseph Zern came from his home in Carrolltown,
Cambria county, and for a time was employed by the railroad company on
the gravel train.  Later on he went to work on the excavation being
made for the foundation of the new opera house, and quitting work
there, became, one week ago Tuesday, a driver for Booth & Leas,
contractors and builders, whose mill and office is on the corner of
Fourth street and Seventh avenue.  He is spoken of as being an
industrious, quiet workman, and his friends were shocked when they
learned that he had met with his death while in the discharge of his
duties.

Between 8 and 9 o'clock Tuesday morning he started from the mill with
some lumber on a wagon drawn by one horse.  It seems that part of the
load was to be left at Fifth avenue and Eleventh street and the
remainder at Third avenue and Thirteenth street.  For some reason he
drove up to and down Third avenue to Eleventh street instead of going
up the latter street to Fifth avenue and thence to Third.  On the
wagon with him were Mr. James Galbraith and another employe of the
mill.  On turning down Eleventh street Mr. Galbraith suggested putting
on the brake, but Mr. Zern said he had taken them off on Monday, and
the wagon was driven on down the street.  Soon after the lumber
slipped forward, and the horse started off, as was natural for it to
do under the circumstances.  It is said Mr. Zern had the lines thrown
over his shoulders and it is supposed that in reaching forward to get
a firmer hold on them he slipped.  He fell with his head between the
wheel and the bolster pin and was instantly killed, his skull being
crushed in several places and both arms being broken.  Seeing the
lumber could not be prevented from sliding, Mr. Galbraith and his
companion jumped.  As soon as the former recovered himself he shouted
to the horse to stop which the animal instantly did.  This was between
Fifth and Sixth avenues.

As soon as possible young Zern was taken from the place he had met his
death by the men who witnessed the sad affair, and the remains were
conveyed to the undertaking rooms of Tipton & Lafferty, where Coroner
Glenn empanneled the following jury: J. H. McCullough, foreman; J. A.
Walters, R. I. Gracey, Jacob F. Smith, D. H. Miller and D. Kinch.
Several witnesses were examined, the more important of whom was Mr.
Galbraith, who testified as follows:

I was on the wagon.  We turned off Third avenue to come down Eleventh
street to Sixth avenue.  I told the driver to put on the brake and he
said he had taken the brake off yesterday and left it in the yard.
When he fell off I halloed "Whoa!" at the horse, and he stopped.  I
think in reaching over the horse he was trying to get a shorter hold
on the lines.  The lumber slipped, but if the brake had been in its
place I think he would have had no trouble in stopping the horse.

After listening to the testimony, the jury rendered a verdict that
death was caused by falling between the wheel and bolster pin of the
wagon while coming down Eleventh street between Third and Sixth
avenues, Altoona, Blair county, Pa.  The wagon was laden with dressed
lumber, and the lumber slipping, threw Zern between the wheel and
bolster.  The jury considers his death purely accidental.

Deceased was in his 21st year and was a member of the Catholic church.
He was a son of Jacob (deceased) and Agnes Zern, of Carrolltown.  He
leaves six sisters and one brother, and in this city has two sisters -
Tillie, wife of Mr. John Leopard, residing at 417 Eighth avenue, and
with whom he boarded, and Miss Ida Zern.

Altoona Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Thursday, May 5, 1887, page 3