TRAIN KILLS FOUR.
TWO MEN AND THEIR WIVES
VICTIMS OF THE ALTON.
SPENT EASTER IN COUNTRY.
"Red Flyer" Crashed Into Vehicle
At Grade Crossing.
The Chicago & Alton's "Red Flyer" killed four people -- two men and two women at a grade-crossing on Fifteenth street at 4:50 yesterday afternoon. The dead are Mr. and Mrs. D. H. Monarch, of 1717 McGee street, and Mr. and Mrs. George Henry, whose home address is not known. The merry party were returning from a day's outing east of Kansas City, and were crossing the tracks of the Chicago & Alton in a light, double-seated spring wagon when the accident occurred. The place of the accident is about one and a quarter miles west of Independence.
The horses had cleared the track when the engine bore down upon n the vehicle, crushing it and tossing the occupants high in the air.
When the engineer stopped his train, after continuing several car lengths, the crew alighted and ran to the assistance of the injured, the two men and Mrs. Monarch were dead, and Mrs. Henry expired within a few minutes.
The team escaped uninjured.
The bodies were placed aboard the train and taken to the Union depot, where they were viewed by Coroner G. B. Thompson and removed to Stine's undertaking establishment.
The party had started out about 10 o'clock yesterday forenoon, and it was understood that they were going to Swope park to spend the day. However, it is presumed they changed their minds and drove to some point east of the city for several friends, among them Mr. and Mrs. A. W. Burtch, were to meet them at Swope park, and drove to that place, but did not find them.
How the party happened to drive upon the tracks in front of the train seems to be unexplainable to the friends of the two men. Mr. Monarch was driving and it is said that he has always been cautious about approaching cars. However, one of the horses that he was driving yesterday was a spirited animal, and for the first time was hitched double. There is a slight grade and it is presumed that the horses began to get anxious to get home were a little fractious and probably could not be stopped before they reached the tracks, after the sound of the approaching train was heard.
Though it was not supposed at first that any of the bodies had been run over, yet all of them were considerably mutilated and crushed. Mr. Monarch's injuries consisted of the top of his head being crushed, and the right leg broken above the ankle, while his wife's injuries consisted of both arms being crushed below the elbows and her chest crushed on the left side. Mr. Henry's head was crushed, his left foot cut off at the ankle, and the right leg was broken below the knee.
Mrs. Henry's left leg was mangled from the knee to the ankle, and the left arm was crushed up to the elbow.
The identity of the bodies were not established until a search of the clothing of the men at the undertaker's morgue was made, and a grocery receipt bearing D. H. Monarch's name and address was found in his clothing. A card bearing the name of George Henry was found on Mr. Henry's body. Inquiry was made at 1717 McGee street, and it was learned that Mr. Monarch lived at that number. It was also ascertained that he and his wife had gone out for an outing with Mr. and Mrs. Henry and several people who knew them called at the morgue and positively identified the quartette.
Mr. Monarch was employed as a solicitor by the C. F. Adams Installment Company, 1513 Grand avenue, and also conducted a rooming house where he lived and one at 1620 McGee street. George Henry worked as solicitor for the L. B. Price Mercantile Company, Fourteenth and Oak, a firm similar to that by which Mr. Monarch was employed.
Mr. Monarch was 30 years old, and his wife was about five years his senior. Both Mr. and Mrs. Henry were about 30 years old.
