Tragedy at a Family Gathering
A young boy, visiting family in Snohomish, is killed by a horse kick in a sudden and heartbreaking accident.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
By recently received letters from Iowa, the news reaches us of the death of little Herbert Turner, the eldest son of Robert and Jane Turner, of Monroe County, Iowa. Herbert's father was a bull driver, and his mother was a sister of Mrs. Moore. A number of years ago, they mourned the sudden death of an only brother, Mr. R., who was accidentally crushed to death by a log rolling over his body while at work in the woods. A few years previously, Mrs. Turner's brother William came to his death by accidental drowning. Now poor little Herbert has met an equally sad fate. They were visiting at the residence of the mother and father of Mrs. Martin and of Mr. J. Turner of this place. Herbert was always a great hand to be around the horses. A pair of very young horses were hitched near the house. Herbert ventured too close to their heels, when one of them kicked at him, striking him near the ear; he never was conscious afterward, breathing his last a few hours after receiving the injury. This sad event took place on the last day of the past month. Should Herbert have lived he would have been eight years of age the 20th of next November.
“He possessed qualities so well equaled, making him especially the pet and general favorite of a very large circle of relatives and friends.”
Accidents involving children were frequently reported in local papers of this era with a heavy emphasis on the 'sudden' nature of life. This story highlights the isolation and physical dangers of early pioneer life, where children were often working or playing near dangerous machinery and livestock.
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