W. H. Willi, Obituary/Death NoticePorter County obituaries and death notices . . . .
W. H. Willi
CHESTERTON CHIPS
W. H. Willi, a Lake Shore brakeman well-known here, is another victim of tramps. On Thursday morning of last week, at 4 o'clock, while on his run between Elkhart and Chicago on the 2nd section of No. 75, near 100th street, Chicago, he ran into a gang of five tramps, one of whom pushed him between the cars. The train was moving rapidly and the brakeman had both his legs cut off. The injured man lay by the side of the tracks until a train coming in an opposite direction passed. The engineer of this train saw him and stopped his train, and placed him on board. He was taken to a Chicago hospital, where he died Friday morning. Willi leaves a wife and three children ranging in age from five to nine years. His hom was in Elkhart, but outside of his family, his relatives lived in Harrisburg, Pa. The body was sent to Elkhart Friday, and from there was taken to Harrisburg. Deceased was a member of the Woodmen of the World and carried a policy in the Lake Shore Mutual Benevolent association. Before his death he made an anti-mortum statement that one of five tramps tripped or pushed him off the top of a box car, and he fell between, the cars passing over his legs. The Lake Shore detectives were immediately placed on the case and every effort will be made to find the murderer. Last summer Willi was employed at Dune Park, running the sand train between that place and Chicago. He was popular with all who knew him, and his sad end is regretted by all the railroad boys on this end of the line.
Newspaper: The Chesterton Tribune
Date of Publication: September 23, 1899
Volume Number: 16
Issue Number: 24
Page: 5
Column(s): 5
Key to Newspaper Publication Locations:
Newspapers Published in Chesterton, Porter County, Indiana
Chesterton Tribune
The Tribune
Westchester Tribune
Newspapers Published in Valparaiso, Porter County, Indiana
Porter County Vidette
Practical Observer
Valparaiso Practical Observer
Vidette and Republic
Western Ranger
The obituaries and death notices appearing on this website have been transcribed exactly as they were originally published in the newspaper.
Please note that we do not provide photocopies or digital scans of obituaries and death notices
appearing on this website.
Obituary/death notice transcribed by Steven R. Shook