This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Classification: queries Message Board URL: http://boards.rootsweb.com/localities.northam.usa.states.illinois.counties.knox/2160.1/mb.ashx Message Board Post: Galesburg Daily Republican Register Thursday Nov 4 1920 Joint Inquest is Held Today No Blame fixed for Gardner and Tucker Deaths by Jury No blame for the death of Elijah Tucker and Mrs. Sarah E Gardner, who were killed by a Santa Fe train at Appleton Tuesday afternoon was laid on the railroad company or any other party by the coroner's jury which sat in the inquest this morning in the Kimber and West funeral parlors. The verdict simplystated: "We, the undersigned, jurors sworn to inquire of the death of Elijah Tucker and Mrs. Sarah E. Gardner, on oath do find that they came to their death by being struck by a Santa Fe company's engine of train No. 9 at about 2 o'clock on the second day of November 1920, the said Mrs.Sarah E. Gardner being instantly killed and the said Elijah Tucker dying at St. Mary's hospital at Galesburg at about 2:45 o'clock the same day, the said persons beign killed and fatally injured by said engine." signed O. L. Campbell, foreman, C. J. Haggenjos, E. R. Hannum, M. H. Eddy, K. J. Bolton and K. J. Klinck. The sons of Mrs Gardner, the father of the dead young man, the railroad men and several bystanders at the time, were the principal witnesses at the inquest. The session was a unusally long one, lasting about two hours, from 10:30 to 12:30. Dr. C. B. Ripley, deputy coroner, presided at the inquest. Aside from some adverse testimonies, little new developed. Leonard Gardner, a son of Mrs. Gardner who was killed in the wreck, said that when the accident happened his mother was on the way to the polls in Appleton to cast her vote in the presidential election. Tucker had been asked to take her to town and back in his car and he had readily assented. Tucker was a straight, nice boy, Mr. Gardner said, and Mrs. Gardner's family felt that she was safe in his care despite her advanced age. Leonard Gardner with his wife and his brother's wife went early to the Appleton polls to vote and awaited the coming of their mother to assist her in casting her vote. They were sitting in the hall which was used as the polling place, when some one came in hurriedly and announced that two men had been killed by the train at the crossing. With others, Gardner "broke and run for the crossing" as he put it, and when he came near to the depot, he met Douglas Derham. "Your mother is killed," Derham cried to him. Then Gardner ran on to the tracks. There he saw Tucker lying beside the track injured. Looking higher he saw the form of his mother mangled until hardly distingushable. With his brother Albert and some other person, he lifted her body from the engine and laid it down. Later he and K. J. Klinck took it to the Gardner home several miles southward. Bad road surface on the south approach to the Santa Fe tracks, it was the witness's opinion was responsible for the accident. He said that the road way was covered to the depth of over a foot with oose, mud, sod, and dirt making the stretch impassable. It later developed in other testimony that this was the result of a Santa Fe road gang which was then repairing the roadway and that the road was merely somewhat rough and not impassable. This was an example of adverse testimony received. In the following several testimonies, little was added to the evidence. Charley Gardner, brother of Leonard, was examined after his brother left the chair. Lee V. Tucker, father of Elijah P. Tucker, testified that his son was 23 years of age on last August 25. " You think the approach to the track--", Dr. Ripley began--when the examination of the father was nearly concluded. Without waiting for him to finish, Mr. Tucker exclaimed, "Contributed to his death? Yes, I do before my God." The Gardner brothers recalled for additional testimony stated that their mother was 81 years of age on last August 25, the same as the birthday of young Tucker and that she had been in excellent health as the young man had been. Charles L. Marsh, boss of the men who were occupied at the time, Tuesday afternoon, grading the road in question threw the evidence to a new angle by stating that the west side of the road on which the auto approached the track had been finished and was in good shape beyond being a little rough. He also said that he attempted to stop Tucker, who paid no attention, and described the details of the wreck. I. W. Estes and Charles Elliott both workman for Marsh contributed to the testimony by testifying the Ford runs about Tucker drove over the road at a good gait, seemingly unimpeded but slowed nearly to a stop when it approached the track. Charles M. Paul, engineer on the train, said that neither he nor the fireman saw the car in front due to the arrangement of the window of the cab as the engine came around a curve, a half mile out of the station, which in turn was a hundred yards or so east of the crossing. He thought a jolt which was felt when the engine passed the crossing wasa due to trouble in the engine mechanism and was astonished when he stopped the train a quarter of amile further on, to find the wreakage and two bodies on the pilot. He told of the position in which the wreakage and bodies was on the machine and of how the train was backed up to the station, the man being taken inside and brought here and the woman's body being placed in a truck to be taken home. William Hamm, Station agent at Appleton, Douglas Derham of the store north of the depot, and Andrew Nelson who was on the road and north of the tracks at the time of the accident, all testified. A statement by Dr. Baird who attended Tucker when he was brought to St. Mary's hospital closed the testimonies. Dr. Baird said the injuries were a depressive fracture of the skull back of the left ear, a fractured right arm, and many cuts and bruises. He attributed death to an internal hermorrhage. Tucker died, according to the docter at 2:45, 45 minutes after entering the hosptial. The train was heading west and the automobile was being driven from the south. Tucker had to approach the right of way over the recently surfaced road then across the eastbound track of the major line where the car was struck. There was a switch lying to the north and thereafter the roadway descended again to the road over another stretch of newly repaired surface similar to the south. The grade in each case was about 5 percent. Funeral services for Elijah Tucker who died as the result of injuries sustained in an accident at Williamsfield last Tuesday will be held at the residense of Dr. Ben Baird at 2 p.m. Friday. Immediately after the services the body will be taken to Chicago in the 5:12 train and burial will be made in Graceland cemetery there. Elijah Peacock Tucker was born in Chicago in 1897 and was the son of Mr. and Mrs. L. V. Tucker. His grandparents were Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Peacock of Chicago and Mrs Mary Tucker of Williamsfield. He received his education in the Galesburg schools and In Winona Lake Agricultural college. For some time past he has been operating his father's farm near Dahinda. He was married last April to Miss Alma Thurman who with his parents Mr. and Mrs. L. V. Tucker survive him. He was a member of the Victoria Masonic Lodge and of the Murgo Grotto of Galesburg.