CRUSHED TO DEATH BY STRING OF CARS IN SOUTH YARDS ALBERT BENTLEY, I.C. CAR REPAIRMAN, KILLED LAST NIGHT ATTEMPT TO GO BETWEEN CARS FATAL

Albert Bentley, 22 years old, a car repairer at the Illinois Central Shops was instantly killed about 11:30 last night when he fell beneath the wheels of a string of freight cars in ??? passing over his body.

The fatal accident was not witnessed by anyone, although Bentley was accompanied on his work by Dave Stuber, another car repairer. Stuber did not know of the accident until he saw Bentley’s lantern laying on the tracks. Upon investigation he found the body lying across the rails, the wheels of the cars having passed directly over the abdomen, mangling and crushing the body but not severing it.

According to the testimony at the coroner’s inquest, conducted by Coroner Hagenbush of Washington County, Bentley was preparing to put a brake shoe on a bad order car on track eleven in the E yard. Word had been sent by telephone to the car men that a cut of cars would be sent in on track eleven and the men were warned to look for them.

Bentley and Stuber walked to where the bad order car stood and Bentley suggested that they put on the brake-shoe but was advised by Stuber not to do so. The latter walked up the track a few yards and the cut of cars was sent down, striking the cars upon which the men were working. Stuber then looked for his companion and not seeing him walked back to where he had left him. He saw Bentley’s lantern and then saw the body laying across one rail. He gave a stop signal but the switch engine had already been cut off from the cars and nothing could prevent the entire string from running over the body.

When Bentley was reached by Stuber and other employees, he was still alive and feebly said “help me boys.”

Yardmaster F. L. Faulkner was notified and immediately procured a stretcher and caboose and started to town with the injured. He died before the caboose had left the yards. Just how Bentley happened to be pinioned beneath the cars the employees could not tell, although it is their belief that he attempted to go from one side of the cars to the other for the purpose of obtaining the brake-shoe and fell as the cut of cars sent down the track and struck the cars on which he was working.

Bentley is survived by a widow, their home being on Saline Street. Mrs. Bentley is the daughter of G. H. Pigg, a farmer living near Mt. Vernon. He had been employed at the yards since last spring, having moved to Centralia in March.

An investigation of the accident was held by Illinois Central officials this morning but they made no statement as to the result of the meeting.

Date: September 17, 1915

VERDICT OF JURY

The following verdict was rendered by the coroner’s jury:

We, the jurors sworn to inquire into the death of Albert Bentley, on oath do find that deceased came to his death by being run over by a string of cars in Centralia yards at about 11:30 Friday, Sept. 17, while engaged in his work as car-repairer. The usual warning signal having been removed without his knowledge.

George
Watson, Foreman
Wm. Green
Bob Leber
John L. Knollman
Julius Rebstock
Thomas Goff

(The above information was taken from the Centralia Evening Sentinel dated 9-18-1915)

(The information below was listed in the Mt. Vernon Daily Register dated 9-18-1915. Note that the name is listed as Benton.)

FORMER CITIZEN KILLED BY I.C. CARS

Albert Benton, Car Inspector at Work Under Cars When String of 13 Passed Over His Body

Albert Benton was killed in the Illinois Central yards south of Centralia this morning. He was working under a car, he being one of the company’s inspectors, when a string of thirteen cars was pushed over his body grinding him to a pulp.

Mr. Benton formerly lived in Mt. Vernon. A short time ago his parents moved from here to East Moline.

Date: September 18, 1915
Submitted by: Ken Richardson