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The Deaths of Fred and Etta Presley
Carthage, Jasper County, Missouri



CARTHAGE EVENING PRESS - MARCH 7, 1902

CRUSHED TO DEATH BY A 10-TON STONE.

Fred Presley Instantly Killed at the Carthage Stone Works Today – First Day’s Work after Layoff.

Fred Presley was crushed to death by a huge block of limestone this afternoon at the quarry of the Carthage Stone Co., better known as the Logan & Write quarry. The scene of the fatality was in the yards 100 feet northwest of the mill, which itself is a few hundred yards northwest of the lower bridge at Ornduff’s. The accident occurred about 1 p.m., just after the men had resumed work for the afternoon.

The unfortunate victim was doing his first day’s work at the quarry, having only begun work this morning. Recently he remarked to a friend that he had made but a dollar and a half in sever weeks past.

Presley was assigned to duty in the quarry with Bob Smiley and Martin Rodeman. At the head of a short track, near the derrick that lifts stones from the quarry where the channelers cut them out, is a huge pile of cube-shaped blocks of stone piled in chaotic confusion. To raise one of these blocks, which is 3x5x10 feet in size, and estimated at 10 tons weight, shallow round holes were chiseled in either end. Iron “dogs” or hooks, were placed in such a way as to tighten up and lift the stone, like ice tongs, when a lift was applied by the great derrick from above.

The stone had been lifted over a push car on which it was to be rolled down to the saw mill, and when about a foot above the car the dog hooks slipped, letting the ponderous weight drop with crushing force onto the car. The massive truck timbers of the car snapped like matches, letting the weight topple to one side. There stood poor Presley with his back to other great granite blocks and the falling stone crushed him against the others, grinding the life out of him almost instantly, but let him drop to the stones beneath. There he wriggled slightly, gasped and expired. His left arm had been crushed at the shoulder, his lower left side and abdomen were a shapeless mass, and his left leg at the thigh was ground in two, hanging by mere threads to the body.

W. R. Logan, secretary of the stone company, was at once summoned, and Undertaker E. Knell, with his assistant, Otto Griggs, and a PRESS reporter arrived a little while later. Mr. Knell uncovered the mangled form, noticed the profile of the face, turned the head quickly, and exclaimed: “Why, it’s Jaybird!”

Then Mr. Knell explained that Presley had worked for him recently in tearing down the fairground buildings, and that being a one-eyed man, and not subject to dizziness, he had scaled to the highest of the buildings where other men dared not go and thus acquired his nick name of “Jaybird.”

Of late Presley had been employed on the stripping gangs of various quarries.

While the fifteen or twenty fellow workmen stood sagly by with blanched through grimy faces, the body was removed to the ambulance and conveyed to Knell’s undertaking rooms where the remains were viewed by Coroner Dumbauld who had arrived from Carterville in the meantime. An inquiry as to the cause of the death was then begun at the court house, where Smiley and Rodeman testified. The coroner examined three witnesses only, with no jury, and pronounced that death the result of an accident.

Presley was about 30 years old, and leaves a wife and one child eight or nine years of age. Their home is on Walnut street, three blocks west of the Missouri Pacific railroad. Mrs. Presley was notified after the body was moved, and went at once to the undertaking rooms.

His brother, Dave Presley, who works on the sewer gang, also viewed the remains there.

Mr. Logan stated that the quarry company would assume all expense of burial.




CARTHAGE EVENING PRESS - MARCH 8, 1902

PRESLEY FUNERAL TODAY.

Dead Quarryman Laid to Rest By Associates and Friends

Fred Presley, the unfortunate quarryman who met death yesterday at the Carthage Stone Company’s works, was laid to rest this afternoon at 2 o-clock at Park cemetery. Rev. J. T. Garvey of the Christian church conducted the funeral, and his fellow workmen at Logan & Wright’s laid off for the afternoon and attended the funeral in a body, the pall bearers being selected from among their number.


CARTHAGE EVENING PRESS - SEPTEMBER 24, 1902

DEATH STAYED PROCEEDINGS.

Mrs. Etta Presley Follows Her Unfortunate Husband to the Grave.

Mrs. Etta Presley died yesterday noon at her home on Grove and Francis streets. The funeral was held this afternoon.

Last March her husband, Fred Presley, was crushed to death by a huge block of limestone at the quarry of the Carthage Stone Co. The company paid all funeral expenses and turned over $150 accident insurance to the widow. She was at the time fast failing with consumption and death was a great shock to her. Some time ago she brought a damage suit against the Carthage Stone Co.l, but less than two weeks ago, on account of the menacing approach of the grim victor, a compromise was effected, the company paid a sum to the sick woman and the case was dismissed from the courts.

Rev. A. F. Perry conducted the funeral at 3 p.m. today.