The Terrible Accident on I. C. R’Y at Parker
November 27, 1922
( Articles from Vienna Times)
The following account give us particulars of the terrible tragedy on the I. C. R’y between Parker and Ozark on the morning of November 27th,
when three good citizens were hurled into eternity, and also gives an obituary of each of the men who lost their lives.
Never was our community more wrought up than when the news spread that Section Foreman E. N. Vaughn and two of his men were killed
instantly at the Robinson trestle, the first report saying it was the McCabe or Shadowen 40 foot trestle was an error. On this ill-fated morning,
Foreman Vaughn and five of his men left Parker at 7:00 a. m. , going toward Ozark and as they left, before the agent and operator opened up,
they had no means of knowing there was an engine on the road.
A few minutes later they were running at a rapid rate, Mr. Vaughn having charge of the speeder, and just as they reached the Robinson
trestle, the headlight and smoke of an engine was seen approaching. Three of the men jumped and saved their lives but the other three stuck
to the car, and just before they reached the east end of the trestle, an awful impact came. The engineer had reversed the engine and it was
almost stopped; but the speeder was still running at a high rate of speed and threw the men several feet in the air. E. N. Vaughn, the foreman,
fell to the rocks below, his head striking a stone pillar and was killed instantly. Coleman Deason, it is said, raised to his feet just as the crash
came, and he was thrown forward, head first, his head striking the front end of the engine boiler, crushing his skull. The body then fell to the
ground below. Daniel Emery, the third man, somehow fell on the rails, and his head and arm were both cut off. The body then fell to the earth,
some 20 or 30 feet below. The speeder was tore up some and was knocked back some distance, but remained on the track.
The crash was heard quite a distance and soon people came from all points. Many wonder why the foreman did not stop the speeder, but the
reason will never be known. Some think they aimed to make the east end of the trestle, others that they lost control of the car, so it is all
surmise. The engine came around a sharp curve and there was some fog in the air that was against them.
The engine was No. 489, an old work engine, and is said to be the same one that killed Bedford Emery at Parker many years ago, and also Bob
Barnwell at Parker some years so it has anything but an enviable record. The engineer on this occasion is named Mitchell; the conductor,
Norton, and we failed to get the fireman’s name.
The three men who saved their lives by jumping were Hosea Emery, Vern Mount and James Newbold. All escaped with a few minor bruises
and a good shaking up. Albert Merrow is one of the section men, but had been puny and off a few days. He started to work that morning but
his wife suggested that he wait another day and he yielded, thus possibly saving his life.
The engine then ran down to Parker, attached on to a boxcar, secured three cots and a load of men, ran back and loaded the unfortunate men
on the cots and ran back to Parker where the County Coroner Hood, who had been called and had arrived, selected as a jury: W. J. Phillips,
George Burton, Harry Caldwell, C. SB. Reed, Charles Hundley and James Hood, who examined a number of witnesses and returned a verdict:
" Came to their death by a collision between engine #489 and a motor speeder driven by E. N. Vaughn."
The undertaker, H. T. Cocke, of Creal Springs, who had been summoned, had the same engine to take the bodies to his office, where an expert
from Marion was called to fix them up so as to look as presentable as possible, then they were taken to their homes, Vaughn and Deason in
Parker, and Emery about one mile west on the old Swanner farm. Each of the three left a wife and two children.
On the 28th the funeral was held at Finley, one mile west of Parker, 800 or 1000 people present. The house would not more than hold the
relatives, so the seats were moved outside where all could see and hear. Rev. J. B. Jones of Vienna had charge and preached the sermon. Rev.
Wineagar of Creal Springs, read the scripture and Rev. Ramsey of Burnside offered prayer. Rev. Jones preaced a very fine and appropriate
sermon.
The floral offerings were very fine, the Railroad Company furnishing a fine wreath for each man and the Masons and Odd Fellows one for Mr.
Vaughn, so the display was profuse. The Railroad Company also furnished the caskets, which were alike and very fine.
The bodies of Vaughn and Emery were interred at Salem Cemetery, and that of Deason at Woodside Cemetery. The Masons and Odd Fellows
each performed rites at the grave for E. N. Vaughn, a worthy and valued member of both orders. The hearts of all who viewed the gruesome
sight of these three good men go out in sympathy for their helpless families. One blessing is that they were all Christian men.