A Threshing Machine Tragedy

Monday afternoon at 1:30 o'clock, Dr. Blalock received word that a man had fallen into a threshing machine on John Stahl's farm, below the depot, and was badly cut up. The doctor immediately started to relieve the sufferer, but had not proceeded far when he met a party en route to St. Mary's Hospital with the wounded man in charge. On the arrival of the party at the hospital, Dr. Blalock learned that the unfortunate man's right leg and foot was literally torn in strips up to the knee. The knee cap was completely torn out and the thigh was more or less lacerated up to the hip. There being no chance to save the limb, the doctor amputated it a short distance above the knee. From an eye witness we learn the accident occurred as follows: Guillet was acting as table man and the straw happening to come on the feedboard a little faster than usual, frightened Guillet, who was afraid that he would fall into the machine. Finally, to extricate himself from his supposed danger, he made a leap over the concave, but either misjudging the distance or entangling his foot, he fell on the cylinder, his right leg catching. The machine was stopped immediately by the horror-stricken men, but not until Guillet had received the injuries already stated. In order to extricate the unfortunate man from the cylinder, the machine had to be taken apart. After the operation by Dr. Blalock, Guillet's condition seemed to improve slightly, but still little hopes are expressed for his recovery.