Railway Disaster at the Junction - 1889 Part Five

”Article from the Hamilton Spectator, May 6, 1889 regarding issues around the identification and claiming of bodies.

       From the names  on the unclaimed baggage, the identified bodies and jewellery and circumstantial evidence connected with the disappearance of friends, the following are doubtless the names of the victims of the lamentable accident of Sunday, April 28, at the junction :

          Rudolph J. Ederer, Chicago, body identified.

          L. S. Gurney, New York, body identified.

          John H. Kelley, Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railway, Chicago, body identified.

          E. Randall Orr, law student, Peekskill, N. Y., relics found in the wreck and identified as his.

          Capt. L. L. Butler, Cook county insane asylum, near Chicago, baggage unclaimed and owner missing.

          R. A. Peterlay, 326 Broadway, New York, relics found in the wreck and identified as his.

          C. G. Fraser, stenographer, Toronto, watch found in the wreck and identified as his.

          Fred. Duthie and his wife, Kansas City, known to have been on train and now missing.

          H. Levy, Chicago, baggage unclaimed.

          Mrs. Smith and two young daughter (no address), baggage unclaimed.

          M. R. Scullen, 781 west Lake street, Chicago, body identified.

          J. S. Hall, retired merchant, Kankakee, Ill., body identified.

          Dan Ferguson, joiner, Boston, Mass., baggage unclaimed.

          Harry Pringle, Chicago, known to have been on train and missing.

          Harry Evarts, “little giant orator” Forepaugh’s show, known to have been on train, cards found in wreck, and man now missing.

          B. L. Oviatt, medical student, New York, body and relics found.

          Thomas Jewell, harnessmaker, 265 King street west, Toronto, known to have been on train and now missing.

          Mrs. Grummett, Chicago, body identified.

          As will be seen from the above list, seven of the victims have been identified. It is thought that Mrs. Smith, whose name appears on some unclaimed baggage, had two young daughter with her, but no one has yet arrived yet to look for the bodies.

                   THE CONTEST ABOUT THE CORPSES

          At an early hour Saturday morning, F. C. Oviatt and H. P. Deorest, accompanied by Drs. Miller, Griffin and Ridley, made another examination of the body of B. L. Oviatt, and confirmed the identification by finding pieces of the diagonal clothing and shirting. In the afternoon, Mr. Oviatt and Mr. Sterns had a conference with Superintendent Stiff, and as a result of the proofs laid before him, that gentleman granted leave to have the bodies of B. L. Oviatt and E. Randall Orr removed to their homes. They will leave on the six o’clock train.

                   ANOTHER MISSING MAN

          Matthew Griffith, of Case City, Mich., arrived here yesterday morning in search of his cousin, George Conlen. Griffith and Conlen left Case City a week ago last Friday and went to London. Conlen was with Griffith until late Saturday evening, when they parted, the former telling his cousin that he would leave for Hamilton on the next train. He was to come here and then go to Hagersville for his wife, and take her to Manchester, Conn., where he had obtained a position. Mr. Griffith returned to Case City, but received no word from his cousin. He lives out in the country and did not hear anything about the accident until a couple of days ago. Knowing that Conlen left on the express, he came to the conclusion that he was killed. He went to Blachford’s and viewed the bodies. After examining them closely, he picked out one which he identified as that of his cousin. The missing man had only six teeth, and the corpse had a corresponding number. Fragments of the shirt remaining on the body and a collar button assisted him in the investigation. He examined the articles found in the wreck, and came across a chain which he identified as belonging to his cousin. The only difference was that a charm of a horse’s head, which had been attached to the chain, was missing, but there was a mark showing that the charm had been melted. Mr. Griffith left yesterday afternoon for Niagara Falls to interview Conductor Poole and see if he remembered a passenger answering to the description of his cousin. When he returns, he will go to Hagersville and bring the missing man’s wife here to examine the body.

                             NOTES

          The friends of Harry Everts will be here today.

          The bodies of B. L. Oviatt and E. Randall Orr were sent to New York on Saturday.

          Harry Evans, the missing press agent of Forepaugh’s show, was well known in this city, having been here in 1886.

          A button bearing the stamp : “E. R. & Bros., Chicago,” was found on one of the bodies Saturday morning. The initials are supposed to be of a Chicago firm of tailors, and may serve as a clue.

          Joseph Hett, Portsmouth, N. H., and a Mr. Fisher arrived yesterday in search of R. A. Peterlay’s body, and identified his watch guard. The deceased was a clerk, fifty-three years of age, and lived in Boston.

          Mrs. Grummet’s body was placed in a handsome, metallic coffin yesterday and shipped to Chicago.

          The coffins and all expenses in connection with the bodies are at the cost of the Grand Trunk. The company is also fitting up the wounded “regardless” including silk hats.

          All the wounded passengers, except Hamilton Clark, William Lipsey (Chicago), Enoch Kenyon (London, England), Joseph Moris (Clark’s island, Maine), and C. C. Azbell (Edwardsport, Ind.), have recovered and left the hospital. The remaining ones are getting along nicely. Mrs. Azbell is here nursing her husband.

          A public funeral of unclaimed corpses will take place tomorrow at 3:30 p.m., unless they are identified in the meantime. They will be buried in the same plot and in separate graves.