Surnames: Reidel, Dankemeyer, Riedel

----Source: NEILLSVILLE TIMES (Neillsville, Clark County, Wis.) 05/09/1907

Reidel, Robert #2 (1837 - 6 MAY 1907)

Monday night Robert Reidel, a bachelor who resides on the banks of the O’Neill Creek just this side of Granton (Clark Co., Wis.), was struck by a through freight while crossing a railroad bride and was killed. The body was found by Mrs. Dankemeyer Tuesday morning when she was on her way to Granton. The body was lying on the bridge, the head between two ties and the feet extending over the edge of the bridge. Mrs. Dankemeyer notified the authorities at Granton and in the morning District Attorney Crosby, Justice Campman, Constable Chas. Youmans and a Times representative went over, but the district attorney decided that it was a clear case of accidental death and no coroners jury was necessary.

Reidel was in Granton Monday, and when he started home along the railroad track about 7:30 in the evening he was slightly under the influence of liquor. Mrs. Dankemeyer was also going home along the track and was a short distance ahead of Reidel. As she crossed the bridge she heard the train whistle and looked back to see if she could be of any assistance to Reidel. She observed him crawling on his hands and knees across the bridge, but her motioned for her to go on. As the train did not stop she supposed he got across all right.

Reidel was on the right side of the bridge, and probably realizing his peril, turned to go back, crawling as near the edge of the bridge as possible. It seems that either a part of the engine or the caboose struck him on the right shoulder, the concussion breaking his neck, for he was not injured in any observable manner, nor his body bruised in any other place. The coping along the bridge prevented the body from falling into the creek. The train passed over the bridge about 8:30, nearly dark. Reidel wore a suit of clothes very similar in color to the railroad ties, and to this fact is attributed the cause of the engineer failing to observe him lying on the bridge.

Mr. Reidel was a man of about 70 years of age, unmarried and in very comfortable circumstances, as he owned the farm upon which he lived and which is probably worth $10,000. He was an early settler in Clark County, having resided here over thirty years. He has two brothers living near Granton.