C. D. STANNARD
On the night of August 10th, on the Chicago, rock Island and Pacific railway a fearful accident occurred. By the spreading or misplacement of the rails the passenger train of which Mr. C. D. Stannard was conductor, was thrown from a trestle under which pass the tracks of two other railroads. The engineer and fireman were killed and burned, the head of the one and the leg of the other being the only portions of their bodies that were recovered. Mr. Stannard was in the rear coach and of all its two dozen occupants only the brakeman and two passengers were uninjured. The former, Harry Foote, came to the assistance of Mr. Stannard only to find no response to his call and to discover him with his head crushed. The newspaper account that Mr. Stannard was burned to death was contradicted by those in position to know the train. His hat, watch, keys, punch and match safe were recovered and his body was brought here last Tuesday and buried in Mt. Hope cemetery. Eleven other person shared is terrible fate some of them being cremated and a number were badly injured. It is to be feared that they were the victims of hate awakened to unusual ferocity by late events. Mr. Stannard was several times compelled to defend his train and himself from the assault of train robbers and desperadoes. A negro is under arrest for complicity in the wreck, that caused Mr. Stannard's death.
Clarence DeForest [sic] Stannard was born at Nile June 24, 1848, and it was in Friendship that most of his boyhood was spent.
Mr. Stannard early entered the service of the Erie and was rapidly promoted to conductor of passenger trains. Leaving that service seven years ago he assisted in the construction of the bridge where he was killed. Upon the completion of the branch of the C.R.I.&P. from Council Bluffs to St. Joseph, he was assigned a passenger train. His vacations were spent at Binghamton, Hornellsville and Friendship. His father died at Scio a few months ago and his mother accompanied him home from the funeral little dreaming of the sad errand that should recall her so soon to the east.
Mr. Stannard married Velora, the oldest daughter of our esteemed townsman, Nelson Nowlin, July 1, 1868. Two sons were born to them, one of whom is in the employ of the Gas and Electric Light Co. of Binghamton and the other of the Standard Oil Co., at St. Josephs, Mo. To them and their bereaved mother the warmest sympathy is expressed.
Mr. Stannard was deservedly popular among his former associates on the Erie and thirty of them, including conductors, engineers and brakemen attended the funeral. He was a member of the Order of Railway Conductors and the A. O. U. W. Wm. Hollis, formerly of the Erie service, but now a conductor on the Rock Island road, and his wife, accompanied the remains from Lincoln, Neb.
The burial was from the Congregational church, the Rev. T. S. Leonard officiating. When he was a resident of Beatrice, Neb., a friend intimacy sprang up between him and the dead man.
A CARD OF THANKS
Our warms thanks are due friends for sympathy and attentions at the funeral of the best of husbands and fathers. To our neighbors at St. Jospeh and Council Bluffs, to Conductor Hollis and other conductors of the Rock Island road, to the officials of that road and to the railway men of the Erie, former companions of Mr. Stannard, we are greatly indebted for many cheerfully tendered favors. We shall ever hold all of you in grateful remembrance.
Mrs. C. D. STANNARD
CLARE N. STANNARD
FLOYD C. STANNARD
[Note: Later stories in NE newspapers indicate this railroad "accident" was sabotage, probably by union trying to prevent arrival of strikebreaking troops who happened not to make the connection to Stannard's train.]
All obits transcribed from newspaper microfilm by Chris Stannard - Ault, CO.