Death Ends It, Honeymoon of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Smith Is Over, Rossville, Kansas
DEATH ENDS IT Honeymoon of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Smith is Over. He With Two Others Killed at Crossing. STOPS A MARRIAGE. Other Two Victims to Have Been United Sunday. Maggie Marney and Edward Smith Find Union in Death. ONLY ONE IS ALIVE. Mrs. Fred Smith Tells How Accident Happened. Young People Returning From Dance at St. Marys. Three persons were instantly killed and another perhaps fatally injured shortly after 1 o’clock this morning at bond’s crossing, about two miles west of Rossville, by the Union Pacific passenger train No. 3, west-bound. The killed are: FRED SMITH, EDWARD D. SMITH AND MISS MAGGIE MARNEY. Mrs. Fred Smith may recover, although at noon today she was still unconscious and was in a delirious condition. Mrs. Smith was a bride of less than a week, having been married on Sunday, and Miss Maggie Marney was to have been married next Sunday to Edward Smith, one of the unfortunate men. Edward and Fred Smith were brothers, both prosperous young farmers who parents also live near Rossville. They had been to St. Marys to attend a Woodman dance and were returning home when the accident occurred. They were driving a team of horses attached to a double-seated carriage, when they crossed the Union Pacific at Bond’s crossing, and the engine of the Union Pacific passenger train crashed into them. The bodies of the killed were terribly mangled, and Miss Marney’s head was completely severed from her body. Both the horses were instantly killed, and the carriage was smashed. The engineer did not see the carriage until after the engine had struck it. He immediately brought his train to a standstill and the bodies of the dead and Mrs. Smith, who was unconscious, were taken on board and were carried to St. Marys. They were taken to Rossville early this morning, accompanied by Dr. Miller and a Catholic priest, Father DeSmedt, and an inquest was held at 9 o’clock. Mrs. Fred Smith is receiving the best of medical care and attention. She talks in a rambling manner and knows nothing of what has occurred. She is aware that her husband was killed. She suffered a severe shock and one arm and an ankle were broken. The doctors hold out hopes of her ultimate recovery. Miss Maggie Marney was the daughter of William Marney, a well known farmer of that vicinity. She was to have been married to Edward Smith next Sunday. Mrs. Fred Smith, the bride of two days, whose husband met a horrible death at the Bond crossing, gave the first coherent account of the accident to a State Journal reporter this afternoon. “We were married in Topeka at the home of my sister, Mrs. H.E. VanVleck, at 220 East Fifth street,” said she. “We went down to Topeka on Saturday and were married Saturday evening. We were at the home of my sister until Monday afternoon when we went to Rossville. Ed met us at the train. He asked his father for a team and got a double seated carriage in Rossville and we went to the Mulvane ranch where we got Maggie Marney and we then went to the dance at St. Marys. “When we were coming home Fred and I were on the front seat and Fred was driving. We had the side curtains on. We got on the wrong road and we had to turn north and were compelled to cross the tracks again. We had already crossed them once. As we drove onto the tracks the train hit us and I don’t remember anything more. The engineer did not whistle.” Mrs. Smith was Miss Vina Vieu. She is a young woman of prepossessing appearance. She appears to scarcely realize the terrible fate of her husband, brother-in-law and friend. It was at first thought that her ankle had been broken but it now appears that this is a mistake. She is not seriously injured and will be able to be out in a few days. Engineer Emmett Lewis of the Union Pacific train that caused the death of the three young people was prostrated. He went with the train as far as Junction City where he turned the engine over to a substitute, being unable to go farther. The conductor of the train was F.S. Fields and both the engineer and conductor are attending the inquest this afternoon. The parents of Fred and Ed Smith, the two young men who were killed, live two miles from Rossville. They were worried over the non-appearance of their sons but did not know of the accident until this forenoon when Floyd McPherson drove out and informed them. Mrs. Smith fainted and was in a serious condition but is better this afternoon. Neither the father nor mother knew that the young people had been married. The bodies of the dead were all frightfully crushed. Fred Smith’s legs and one arm were broken, his neck was also broken and one side was crushed. Ed Smith’s side was crushed and his legs were broken. The car wheels had passed directly over Maggie Marney’s head and face and the top of her skull was found lying beside the track. Claim Agent Peterson, of the Union Pacific is on the ground and with him is Photographer John Strickrott who took photographs of the scene of the accident to be used in the event of a suit for damages. Coroner Hogeboom went to Rossville on an early morning train and is holding an inquest this afternoon. The people of Rossville are greatly excited over the frightful accident. (published, April 1, 1902 ?)
These railroad tracks are pictured looking west at the bridge over Cross Creek in Rossville, Kansas.
Pictured are Archie Cless, Carl Parr, and Irene Howard in possibly the first automobile seen in Rossville, Kansas. From the March 14, 1902, issue of the Rossville News, Mr. U. G. Stewart wrote, "Mr. George Burghart of the Burghart Cigar Company of Topeka was in our city Tuesday with the automobile. Several of our citizens took a ride in the vehicle, and we expect to see automobiles a common luxury among our people in the near future." Note: This picture was in the 1971 Centennial Booklet with the above information. We believe this information is in error. Notified by a local citizen, Daryl Dannefer, that the picture is a 1908 Ford Model T and has nothing to do with news article quoted in Centennial book, we did our research and agree with him.
Willard Bridge Crossing the Kansas River, Kansas
This bridge is between Rossville and Willard, Kansas. The Rossville News of September 27, 1901, reports, “A force of men with teams and scrapers are putting the Rossville-Willard boulevard in fine shape. When complete this will be the ‘boulest’ road in the country.” The April 11, 1902, issue reports that the Willard bridge is completed except for final work on the approaches but it can be used. The 1903 flood of the Kaw River washed out the bridge and did considerable damage to the road. It was several years before this road was again usable. The bridge was again damaged with the flood of 1951 and rebuilt in 1954 to look like this picture.
Public domain due to copyright expiration
Southeast of Rossville, Kansas, (between Rossville and Silver Lake) stood the town of Kingsville which Andrew Wilson built and erected at his own expense: a depot (pictured), hotel, store, blacksmith shop, cattle yard, scales, and a stone school house. This picture was taken the same time as RCL0067.
Southeast of Rossville, Kansas, (between Rossville and Silver Lake) stood the town of Kingsville which Andrew Wilson built and erected at his own expense: a depot (pictured), hotel, store, blacksmith shop, cattle yard, scales, and a stone school house. In 1877 the Kansas Pacific Railroad advertised that “the quickest and safest route to all points east or west is the KPRR “Golden Belt Route.” This name was later applied to the highway that closely paralleled the railroad. This picture was taken the same time as RCL0066.
Dr. and Mrs. Henry H. and Ella Wyatt Miller in automobile, Rossville, Kansas
This car is one of the first ones purchased in Rossville, Kansas. It was a 20 HP "Aurora" Runabout owned by Dr. H.H. and Ella Wyatt Miller. The house in the picture no longer exists due to a fire in 1989. It was located at the present site of 304 Main Street.
Construction of the Willard bridge, Willard, Kansas
This bridge is between Willard and Rossville, Kansas. The Rossville News of September 27, 1901, reports, “A force of men with teams and scrapers are putting the Rossville-Willard boulevard in fine shape. When complete this will be the ‘boulest’ road in the country.” The April 11, 1902 issue reports that the Willard bridge is completed except for final work on the approaches but it can be used. The 1903 flood of the Kaw River washed out the bridge and did considerable damage to the road. It was several years before this road was again usable.
Grace Eversole Hartzell and Edna Hartzell Salley in a buggy, Rossville, Kansas
Mrs. Grace Eversole Hartzell and Mrs. Edna Hartzell Salley travelled in a one-horse open buggy together.
The Willard bridge crosses the Kansas River, connecting Willard to Rossville, Kansas. Laverne Zlatnik believes this photo may be what remained after the 1951 flood.