Charles O. Smith was born in Sweden (in either 1835 or 1837). As a young man he was drafted into the army and served in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, receiving several wounds from which he mostly recovered. One account claimed he fought in two wars and had earned the rank of captain. Around 1881 he emigrated to the United States, and five years later settled in Syracuse.
By 1911 he was 75 years old and well-known in the southern part of the city. He worked as a janitor and gardener for Andrew J. Speich at the Speich Piano Company on South Salina Street, and lived with his wife at 1228-1/2 South State Street. Their son, Oscar, lived with them; they also had a daughter, Mrs. Anna Hunt, and several grandchildren by her.
Early on the morning of August 16, 1911, Mr. Smith, dragging the Speich Company lawnmower behind him, which he had borrowed and was on his way to return, was near or crossing the tracks of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad at the South Salina street crossing when he was struck by the northbound passenger train due in Syracuse at 7:53 a.m. He was killed instantly. His son was notified a few minutes later when witnesses brought to him a card found in his father's pocket bearing his name and address.
Hurt's undertakers took charge of the body. Mrs. Smith was on vacation in Vernon for her health at the time of the death, and son Oscar left that afternoon to personally tell her the tragic news. Upon their return to Syracuse later that day, the family was "hounded in their sorrow by importunate lawyers" claiming to have been friends of Mr. Smith and offering to file suit. Oscar Smith resorted to placing a plea in the Syracuse Herald, one of the dailies that had covered his father's death in gruesome detail, publicly begging for "relief from their incessant calls."
There were differing accounts and questions about what had happened: exactly where Mr. Smith was when the train hit him; whether he had been deaf and had not heard its approach, or whether he had been struggling to pull the lawn mower across the tracks; whether the train had been traveling at 8 or at 30 miles per hour. Coroner Kinne decided that Mr. Smith must have been on the tracks at the time of the accident.
The funeral was held at Mr. Smith's family home Friday afternoon, August 18, 1911.
Information provided by Memories of You
By 1911 he was 75 years old and well-known in the southern part of the city. He worked as a janitor and gardener for Andrew J. Speich at the Speich Piano Company on South Salina Street, and lived with his wife at 1228-1/2 South State Street. Their son, Oscar, lived with them; they also had a daughter, Mrs. Anna Hunt, and several grandchildren by her.
Early on the morning of August 16, 1911, Mr. Smith, dragging the Speich Company lawnmower behind him, which he had borrowed and was on his way to return, was near or crossing the tracks of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad at the South Salina street crossing when he was struck by the northbound passenger train due in Syracuse at 7:53 a.m. He was killed instantly. His son was notified a few minutes later when witnesses brought to him a card found in his father's pocket bearing his name and address.
Hurt's undertakers took charge of the body. Mrs. Smith was on vacation in Vernon for her health at the time of the death, and son Oscar left that afternoon to personally tell her the tragic news. Upon their return to Syracuse later that day, the family was "hounded in their sorrow by importunate lawyers" claiming to have been friends of Mr. Smith and offering to file suit. Oscar Smith resorted to placing a plea in the Syracuse Herald, one of the dailies that had covered his father's death in gruesome detail, publicly begging for "relief from their incessant calls."
There were differing accounts and questions about what had happened: exactly where Mr. Smith was when the train hit him; whether he had been deaf and had not heard its approach, or whether he had been struggling to pull the lawn mower across the tracks; whether the train had been traveling at 8 or at 30 miles per hour. Coroner Kinne decided that Mr. Smith must have been on the tracks at the time of the accident.
The funeral was held at Mr. Smith's family home Friday afternoon, August 18, 1911.
Information provided by Memories of You
Charles O. Smith was born in Sweden (in either 1835 or 1837). As a young man he was drafted into the army and served in the Franco-Prussian War of 1870-1871, receiving several wounds from which he mostly recovered. One account claimed he fought in two wars and had earned the rank of captain. Around 1881 he emigrated to the United States, and five years later settled in Syracuse.
By 1911 he was 75 years old and well-known in the southern part of the city. He worked as a janitor and gardener for Andrew J. Speich at the Speich Piano Company on South Salina Street, and lived with his wife at 1228-1/2 South State Street. Their son, Oscar, lived with them; they also had a daughter, Mrs. Anna Hunt, and several grandchildren by her.
Early on the morning of August 16, 1911, Mr. Smith, dragging the Speich Company lawnmower behind him, which he had borrowed and was on his way to return, was near or crossing the tracks of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad at the South Salina street crossing when he was struck by the northbound passenger train due in Syracuse at 7:53 a.m. He was killed instantly. His son was notified a few minutes later when witnesses brought to him a card found in his father's pocket bearing his name and address.
Hurt's undertakers took charge of the body. Mrs. Smith was on vacation in Vernon for her health at the time of the death, and son Oscar left that afternoon to personally tell her the tragic news. Upon their return to Syracuse later that day, the family was "hounded in their sorrow by importunate lawyers" claiming to have been friends of Mr. Smith and offering to file suit. Oscar Smith resorted to placing a plea in the Syracuse Herald, one of the dailies that had covered his father's death in gruesome detail, publicly begging for "relief from their incessant calls."
There were differing accounts and questions about what had happened: exactly where Mr. Smith was when the train hit him; whether he had been deaf and had not heard its approach, or whether he had been struggling to pull the lawn mower across the tracks; whether the train had been traveling at 8 or at 30 miles per hour. Coroner Kinne decided that Mr. Smith must have been on the tracks at the time of the accident.
The funeral was held at Mr. Smith's family home Friday afternoon, August 18, 1911.
Information provided by Memories of You
By 1911 he was 75 years old and well-known in the southern part of the city. He worked as a janitor and gardener for Andrew J. Speich at the Speich Piano Company on South Salina Street, and lived with his wife at 1228-1/2 South State Street. Their son, Oscar, lived with them; they also had a daughter, Mrs. Anna Hunt, and several grandchildren by her.
Early on the morning of August 16, 1911, Mr. Smith, dragging the Speich Company lawnmower behind him, which he had borrowed and was on his way to return, was near or crossing the tracks of the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western railroad at the South Salina street crossing when he was struck by the northbound passenger train due in Syracuse at 7:53 a.m. He was killed instantly. His son was notified a few minutes later when witnesses brought to him a card found in his father's pocket bearing his name and address.
Hurt's undertakers took charge of the body. Mrs. Smith was on vacation in Vernon for her health at the time of the death, and son Oscar left that afternoon to personally tell her the tragic news. Upon their return to Syracuse later that day, the family was "hounded in their sorrow by importunate lawyers" claiming to have been friends of Mr. Smith and offering to file suit. Oscar Smith resorted to placing a plea in the Syracuse Herald, one of the dailies that had covered his father's death in gruesome detail, publicly begging for "relief from their incessant calls."
There were differing accounts and questions about what had happened: exactly where Mr. Smith was when the train hit him; whether he had been deaf and had not heard its approach, or whether he had been struggling to pull the lawn mower across the tracks; whether the train had been traveling at 8 or at 30 miles per hour. Coroner Kinne decided that Mr. Smith must have been on the tracks at the time of the accident.
The funeral was held at Mr. Smith's family home Friday afternoon, August 18, 1911.
Information provided by Memories of You
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