James Blancett

Fannin County TXGenWeb

From Craig McDonald

The Bonham News
Friday, February 9, 1877
Shocking accident!
A man cut to Pieces on the Trans-Continental
James BLANCETT, a brakesman on the Trans-Continental was cut to pieces by the train last Tuesday, about three miles east of Dodd City. An extra loaded with lumber was coming up ahead of the missed train, when, from some cause, a standard broke on one of the flats, throwing the brakesman under the wheels, where he was horribly mangled and instantly killed. The body was
brought up to this place at 9 o'clock that night - the train having been delayed till that hour by another accident two miles this side of Dodd City. A considerable crowd had assembled at the depot, to see the mangled remains, which were tied up in a round bundle, dripping with blood, and already
emitted a sickening odor. As the train moved up the depot, the coffin was carried out of the depot and placed on the middle platform. The bundle containing the mutilated body was then lifted out of the caboose, and the train moved on. The bundle being opened, there was presented a sight so
ghastly that it sent a thrill of horror through every spectator. The corpse, entirely nude, was crushed and mangled out of almost all semblance of humanity, and covered with clots of blood. Strong men turned away from the appalling spectacle, but finally the mangled pieces were placed in something
like their natural position and depostied in the coffin. The coroner's inquest was held by Esq. Bagby next morning at 10 o'clock. The following was the testimony of Joshua FOX, the only person who actually saw the man killed:
   "I live three miles east of Dodd City in Fannin county, Texas. On the 6th day of February, 1877, about 10 minutes past 11 o'clock, a.m., as I was standing on my father's crib on the north side of the railroad, I saw the cars coming west, and the deceased standing on the second car from the engine, and he was turning the brake. I saw him sit down, and aobut this time I saw the lumber on the car begin to slip, and I saw the lumber strike him and knock him down between the cars. He seemed to be hanging (probably by his clothes) and bouncing along and after going some 25 yeards, as near
as I could tell, the wheels ran over him and carried him some distance. Several of the cars ran over him, and he was finally thrown of the track, with the exception of one foot which was between the track. Both his arms were cut off close up to his body, and the wheels ran across his breast and
across the lower part of his abdomen, and his hips, legs and thighs were broken, and he was also stuck on the head by something. I know from what I saw that the deceased was killed by the cars on the Texas & Pacific Railroad at the place stated, on the 6th day of February, 1877, in Fannin county, Texas."
Some further evidence was taken and the jury rendered a verdict as follows:
   "We, the jury find from the evidence that said James BLANCETT came to his death by being run over by the cars on the Texas & Pacific Railway on the 6th day of February, 1877."
J.C. CRAWFORD
ROBT. INGLISH
A.J. CLENDENEN
M.J. JACKSON
C.A. WILLIAMS
M.M. BARNES
   The unfortunate man had no relatives in this State, so far as known, but
from letters on his person it was found that he has a brother living a
Trenton, Tennessee.
He was apparently about 27 years old, and had been employed as a brakesman on this road for several years.

   Mr. BLANCETT, a brother of the brakesman killed on the Trans-Continental, arrived from Tennessee on last night's train. We hear that he proposes a suit for damages, on the ground that the lumber car had only four standards when it should have had ten.

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