Tragedy

When looking for an obituary, do you quit looking after finding one? I have to admit that I would quit looking after locating one, particularly prior to the digitization of the newspapers.

I’ve had found the obituary for Marion Crawford, my grandfather’s brother, in microfilm copies of the local newspaper some time ago. Today, I located a digital copy. His death at age 24 was indeed a tragedy.

Injury Fatal to M. R. Crawford
Death This Morning Follows Accident

Young Man Missed Footing when
Attempting to Mount Switch Engine
and Fell Beneath Wheels –
One Leg Severed and the Other
Amputated by Physicians

Marion R. Crawford, son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Crawford, 504 Avenue D, was fatally injured early Thursday morning about 2:30 when attempting to step upon the back of an oncoming switch engine. He accidentally missed his footing and fell under the wheels. One of his legs was cut off next to the hip and the other was so badly mangled as to make amputation necessary.
It was necessary to jack the rear of the engine in order to keep from running over the boy a second time. As soon as this was accomplished he was taken to the McCarty hospital with all possible speed, where everything that could possibly be done was performed to save the young man’s life. He remained unconscious almost to the time of his death, which occurred at 8:30 this morning.
Marion R. Crawford was born in Dodge City October 24, 1895. He was well known here, having lived practically his entire life in the community. During the war he enlisted in the army, serving with Battery D, of the 13th Field Artillery, stationed at Camp Green, Charlotte, North Carolina. He was overseas and fought for his country in the Argonne, afterwards serving with the army of occupation. Marion Crawford was quiet, reserved and had a host of friends in Dodge City. After returning from the army he obtained a position with the Santa Fe railroad as switchman, and it was at this job that he was working when the accident happened. He was a member of the A.O.U.W. in good standing and also a member of the Brotherhood of Switchmen.
He is survived by his father and mother, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Crawford, four married sisters, Mrs. Bernice Allen, of Cimarron, Mrs. Russell Horton of Dodge City, Esther and Lois Crawford and two brothers, Leon and High. His grandmother, Mrs. Mary Crawford, also lives in Dodge City, and Nelson Crawford, an uncle is an employee in the post office.
The funeral arrangements have not yet been made.

“Injury Fatal to M. R. Crawford,” The Dodge City Kanss Journal (Dodge City, Kansas), 29 July 1920, page 1; digital image, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 8 August 2021).

Since the obituary didn’t contain information about the funeral or burial, I decided to look further. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find such an article in the one 1920 Dodge City newspaper on Newspapers.com. Since his sister was living in Cimarron, Kansas at the time, I decided to broaden my search to the state of Kansas. That’s when I found two additional articles about his death.

Under Engine an Hour
Santa Fe Switchman Died from Loss of Blood
Marion Crawford, a Santa Fe switchman in the Dodge City yards, who was run over by a switch engine severing his left let, died later from the injuries and loss of blood. He was a son of J. F. Crawford night yardmaster at Dodge City. He served overseas in an artillery outfit.
Santa Fe railway men say Crawford lay for nearly an hour under the engine before he could be moved. The locomotive had to be raised with jacks to get him out, and he sustained an enormous loss of blood. His leg was severed close to his body.

“Under Engine an Hour,” The Hutchinson News (Hutchinson, Kansas), 2 August 1920, page 15; Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 8 August 2021).

Even more details of Marion’s death were included in the obituary published in The Hutchinson Gazette.

Dodge City Switchman Killed under Engine
Dodge City, July 30. — Marion Crawford, Santa Fe switchman and a son of Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Crawford, 504 Ave. G, died yesterday morning as a result of an accident when a switch engine passed partially over him, severing his left leg close to the body. He sustained considerable loss of blood before he could be removed from beneath the locomotive.
Crawford had fallen from the switch engine as it was backing and fell beneath the wheels, about half the locomotive passing over him before his screams warned Engineer L. O. Pierson of the accident. Foreman George Anderson, Switchman R. C. Nickerson, and the engine crew rushed to Crawford’s aid, but investigation proved that he could not be removed until the locomotive was raised with jacks, his position being such that to move the engine would have inflicted further injuries. Dr. C. E. McCarty, Santa Fe physician and surgeon was immediately summoned, but it is said it was forty-five minutes before the locomotive could be jacked up and the injured man removed to the hospital, causing an enormous loss of blood. The knee cap and thigh bone in the left leg also were broken.
Marion Crawford was one of the most popular of the employes in the Santa Fe yards here. He was m[b]orn in Dodge City, oct. 24, 1895, being over 24 years of age when he died, and had spent practically all his life in the community. As soon as the United States entered the world war, Marion, with his brother, Leon, enlisted for army service. He was stationed as a member of the coast artillery in California, in Texas and in South Carolina, before he was sent overseas, where he saw many months of service in the expeditionary forces, and later in the army of occupation. His contingent participated in several important engagements, among them the Argonne.

“Dodge City Switchman Killed Under Engine,” The Hutchinson Gazette (Hutchinson, Kansas), 31 July 1920, page 7; digital images, Newspapers.com (www.newspapers.com : viewed online 8 August 2021).

Each one of these death notices provide different details regarding the tragic death of Marion Crawford.