CROWELL, Isaac C.

SAD ACCIDENT.

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A Runaway Sunday Evening Attend-
ed with Fatal Results.

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A fatal runaway occurred in this city a few minutes after 6 o’clock Sunday evening that cast a gloom over the entire community.

Frank Crowell, one of the new councilmen, had been spending the day with his family at the home of Jap Lagrange, who lives a few miles north of town, and who is a brother of Mrs. Crowell. Besides his family he was ac­companied by his mother, Mrs. Isaac Crowell. The party had returned and driving up in front of the residence on the corner of north Main street and Adams street, Mr. Crowell alighted, hitched the horse and went in to unlock the door, intending to drive on after his family had alighted, and take his mother to her home.

While getting the door key at a neighbor’s house, some bicycles passed by and it is sup­posed frightened the horse, which was a spi­rited animal. It broke the hitching strap and bridle bit, and started to run at a terrific rate east on Adams street.

When opposite Nort Whitesides’ residence the elder Mrs. Crowell with William, five years old, son of Frank Crowell, sprang from the surrey. The horse suddenly wheeled to the right, struck an electric light pole, veered the surrey over and hurled Mrs. Frank Crowell and the youngest child, a boy but twenty months old, onto the brick pavement. They were thrown several feet, their heads striking the hard pavement. The child was picked up mo­tionless and carried into Mr. Whitesides residence, also its mother who was in an unconscious condition. Efforts were made to revive the child, but this was soon discovered to be of no avail. It never breathed after being picked up, instant death having occurred from the fall. Its mother continued unconscious and in this condition was taken to the home of her father, Wm. H. Lagrange. In the meantime, Mrs. Isaac Crowell had been carried to her son’s residence in a similar condition. Drs. Donnell and Payne had been summoned and were present within a few minutes after the accident, and used every means possible to revive the sufferers.

Mrs. Isaac Crowell was taken to her home Monday morning after passing a restless night, remaining in a half conscious condition. She received several bruises about the head and was injured internally causing vomiting of blood. Not until Tuesday morning did she fully realize that an accident had occurred or that she had been hurt. Her condition at present is still precarious and the final outcome of her injuries still remains in doubt.

Monday morning Mrs. Frank Crowell had partially revived but did not realize what had happened or that she was hurt. Her face was terribly bruised but no internal injuries were sustained. Dr. Donnell, who attended her, broke the sad news to her of the death of her child, Tuesday morning, she not having been able before that time to comprehend either her own condition or what had happened. The only person to escape uninjured was William, the little five year old boy, who leaped with his grandmother from the surrey. He received only a few slight scratches.

After the occupants had been thrown out the horse continued running at full speed south on Water street and was not stopped until it reached a point on Jefferson street near Dr. Payne’s office, when Michael Conner suc­ceeded in holding it up. The surrey was a complete wreck, scarcely a piece of timber in it remaining unbroken.

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The Franklin Democrat, Friday, May 22, 1896,
Volume XXXVI Number 45, page 3 column 5

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CORONER’S VERDICT

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The undersigned coroner of Johnson county, Indiana, did on the 19th day of May 1896, hold an inquest on the body of Isaac Crowell, Jr., late of said county, found dead at Franklin, Johnson county, Indiana, on the 17th day of May 1896.

Having made due investigation, I find that the deceased came to his death by reason of injury of the brain caused by being accidentally thrown from a carriage (the horse running away) the head striking the curbing, fracturing the skull in both frontal and occipital region.

Deceased was about two years old.

J. T. JONES, 
Coroner Johnson County 

Franklin, Ind., May 20, 1896.

Link to Isaac C. Crowell’s grave

The Johnson County Indiana Death Index, 1882-1920 records on page 45, referencing Book H-18, page 3, that Isac [sic] Crowell, a two-year-old white male, died 17 May 1896 in Franklin.

Submitted by Mark McCrady, Cathea Curry and Lois Johnson