There is no headstone to mark his grave.
Michigan, Deaths and Burials Index, 1867-1995
Name: Pearl Calkins
Birth Date: abt 1888
Birth Place: Michigan
Death Date: 16 Dec 1912
Death Place: Clare, Clare, Michigan
Death Age: 24
Occupation: Farm Laborer
Race: White
Marital status: Single
Gender: Male
Father Name: James Calkins
Mother Name: Susan L. Andie/Andres
HORRIBLE DEATH
------
Pearl Calkins Ground Under Car Wheels
------
On Monday, Pearl Calkins, son of J. M. Calkins of Farwell, a young man about 24 years of age, met a terrible death in this city. He came here on the 9:58 train as we are informed and was around town till toward noon, being seen on the south aide just before that hour making toward the depot. A little later he was seen climbing up the ladder of a car in a west bound P.M. freight train and was standing between the cars. As it was about the noon hour, the force of men at work near the depot, and loading coal cars west of there were at dinner, otherwise possible the train men may have been warned. From marks on the ground it would seem that he fell on the track and was pushed along some 30 rods before wheels passed over him, severing both legs near the body. When found, perhaps fifteen minutes later, he was partially conscious and was taken on a hand car to the depot, thence to Thurston's undertaking rooms where he died about six o'clock.
A jury was impanneled by Justice Thurston and after hearing some testimony a verdict of accidental death was rendered and thus endith the first chapter.
Chapter 2
We are not writing this chapter for the pleasure of it but because we feel that it needs to be written and some one must be brave enough to do it. The simple awfulness of sending a soul into eternity under such circumstances is not a matter to be joked about but calls for some serious thought. It will be exceedingly well for every citizen to take an inventory of himself and decide whether his garments are not stained with the blood of this unfortunate young man and the tears of his heart-broken mother. We find no fault with the verdict of the jury. We do not know who composed the jury, and it is of no consequence. Very likely the verdict was justified by the evidence submitted to them; but the matter should have been probed to the bottom and the responsibility fixed where it belongs. It would have been very easy to ascertain that at the time this man climbed on the train he was intoxicated, intoxicated to a degree that it was impossible for him to walk straight. It would have been little less than a miracle if he could have gone any distance on this train without falling off. The jury could have been informed that he had on his person two pint bottles of whiskey (perhaps more) and that this was purchased on the prescription of a physician of this city. They could have learned that he was a man in habit of becoming frequently intoxicated, in short that he was a man to whom no saloon could sell a drop of liquor without violating the law. It was an utter and gross perversion and violation of the whole intent and purpose of the law. And yet this is the kind of business that has been going on here week after week and month after month and the people of this city have sat supinely by and submitted to it. If the men of this city are so utterly cowardly and pusillanimous that they propose any longer to tolerate this brazen and impudent defiance of law, then they deserve all the contempt that doubtless law violators feel for them. It would be no more absurd and preposterous to insist that nothing should be done to stop the numerous burglaries here. In point of respectability, a burglar will not suffer in comparison with a bootlegger, indeed the latter is more dangerous to society, and we don't care a pinch of snuff whether he plies the business in a lumber pile in the back yard or in a doctor's office. There is an unspeakable condition in this city today that is a disgrace to the city and an insult to every pure woman here. Do the people propose to sit down and twiddle their fingers and endure such a thing in utter defiance of law? They do not need to do so for a single day longer. When they rise up in their might and indignation and DEMAND that this thing shall cease, it will cease forthwith.
Now the great burning question is, what are you and you and you going to do about these things?
Michigan, Deaths and Burials Index, 1867-1995
Name: Pearl Calkins
Birth Date: abt 1888
Birth Place: Michigan
Death Date: 16 Dec 1912
Death Place: Clare, Clare, Michigan
Death Age: 24
Occupation: Farm Laborer
Race: White
Marital status: Single
Gender: Male
Father Name: James Calkins
Mother Name: Susan L. Andie/Andres
HORRIBLE DEATH
------
Pearl Calkins Ground Under Car Wheels
------
On Monday, Pearl Calkins, son of J. M. Calkins of Farwell, a young man about 24 years of age, met a terrible death in this city. He came here on the 9:58 train as we are informed and was around town till toward noon, being seen on the south aide just before that hour making toward the depot. A little later he was seen climbing up the ladder of a car in a west bound P.M. freight train and was standing between the cars. As it was about the noon hour, the force of men at work near the depot, and loading coal cars west of there were at dinner, otherwise possible the train men may have been warned. From marks on the ground it would seem that he fell on the track and was pushed along some 30 rods before wheels passed over him, severing both legs near the body. When found, perhaps fifteen minutes later, he was partially conscious and was taken on a hand car to the depot, thence to Thurston's undertaking rooms where he died about six o'clock.
A jury was impanneled by Justice Thurston and after hearing some testimony a verdict of accidental death was rendered and thus endith the first chapter.
Chapter 2
We are not writing this chapter for the pleasure of it but because we feel that it needs to be written and some one must be brave enough to do it. The simple awfulness of sending a soul into eternity under such circumstances is not a matter to be joked about but calls for some serious thought. It will be exceedingly well for every citizen to take an inventory of himself and decide whether his garments are not stained with the blood of this unfortunate young man and the tears of his heart-broken mother. We find no fault with the verdict of the jury. We do not know who composed the jury, and it is of no consequence. Very likely the verdict was justified by the evidence submitted to them; but the matter should have been probed to the bottom and the responsibility fixed where it belongs. It would have been very easy to ascertain that at the time this man climbed on the train he was intoxicated, intoxicated to a degree that it was impossible for him to walk straight. It would have been little less than a miracle if he could have gone any distance on this train without falling off. The jury could have been informed that he had on his person two pint bottles of whiskey (perhaps more) and that this was purchased on the prescription of a physician of this city. They could have learned that he was a man in habit of becoming frequently intoxicated, in short that he was a man to whom no saloon could sell a drop of liquor without violating the law. It was an utter and gross perversion and violation of the whole intent and purpose of the law. And yet this is the kind of business that has been going on here week after week and month after month and the people of this city have sat supinely by and submitted to it. If the men of this city are so utterly cowardly and pusillanimous that they propose any longer to tolerate this brazen and impudent defiance of law, then they deserve all the contempt that doubtless law violators feel for them. It would be no more absurd and preposterous to insist that nothing should be done to stop the numerous burglaries here. In point of respectability, a burglar will not suffer in comparison with a bootlegger, indeed the latter is more dangerous to society, and we don't care a pinch of snuff whether he plies the business in a lumber pile in the back yard or in a doctor's office. There is an unspeakable condition in this city today that is a disgrace to the city and an insult to every pure woman here. Do the people propose to sit down and twiddle their fingers and endure such a thing in utter defiance of law? They do not need to do so for a single day longer. When they rise up in their might and indignation and DEMAND that this thing shall cease, it will cease forthwith.
Now the great burning question is, what are you and you and you going to do about these things?
There is no headstone to mark his grave.
Michigan, Deaths and Burials Index, 1867-1995
Name: Pearl Calkins
Birth Date: abt 1888
Birth Place: Michigan
Death Date: 16 Dec 1912
Death Place: Clare, Clare, Michigan
Death Age: 24
Occupation: Farm Laborer
Race: White
Marital status: Single
Gender: Male
Father Name: James Calkins
Mother Name: Susan L. Andie/Andres
HORRIBLE DEATH
------
Pearl Calkins Ground Under Car Wheels
------
On Monday, Pearl Calkins, son of J. M. Calkins of Farwell, a young man about 24 years of age, met a terrible death in this city. He came here on the 9:58 train as we are informed and was around town till toward noon, being seen on the south aide just before that hour making toward the depot. A little later he was seen climbing up the ladder of a car in a west bound P.M. freight train and was standing between the cars. As it was about the noon hour, the force of men at work near the depot, and loading coal cars west of there were at dinner, otherwise possible the train men may have been warned. From marks on the ground it would seem that he fell on the track and was pushed along some 30 rods before wheels passed over him, severing both legs near the body. When found, perhaps fifteen minutes later, he was partially conscious and was taken on a hand car to the depot, thence to Thurston's undertaking rooms where he died about six o'clock.
A jury was impanneled by Justice Thurston and after hearing some testimony a verdict of accidental death was rendered and thus endith the first chapter.
Chapter 2
We are not writing this chapter for the pleasure of it but because we feel that it needs to be written and some one must be brave enough to do it. The simple awfulness of sending a soul into eternity under such circumstances is not a matter to be joked about but calls for some serious thought. It will be exceedingly well for every citizen to take an inventory of himself and decide whether his garments are not stained with the blood of this unfortunate young man and the tears of his heart-broken mother. We find no fault with the verdict of the jury. We do not know who composed the jury, and it is of no consequence. Very likely the verdict was justified by the evidence submitted to them; but the matter should have been probed to the bottom and the responsibility fixed where it belongs. It would have been very easy to ascertain that at the time this man climbed on the train he was intoxicated, intoxicated to a degree that it was impossible for him to walk straight. It would have been little less than a miracle if he could have gone any distance on this train without falling off. The jury could have been informed that he had on his person two pint bottles of whiskey (perhaps more) and that this was purchased on the prescription of a physician of this city. They could have learned that he was a man in habit of becoming frequently intoxicated, in short that he was a man to whom no saloon could sell a drop of liquor without violating the law. It was an utter and gross perversion and violation of the whole intent and purpose of the law. And yet this is the kind of business that has been going on here week after week and month after month and the people of this city have sat supinely by and submitted to it. If the men of this city are so utterly cowardly and pusillanimous that they propose any longer to tolerate this brazen and impudent defiance of law, then they deserve all the contempt that doubtless law violators feel for them. It would be no more absurd and preposterous to insist that nothing should be done to stop the numerous burglaries here. In point of respectability, a burglar will not suffer in comparison with a bootlegger, indeed the latter is more dangerous to society, and we don't care a pinch of snuff whether he plies the business in a lumber pile in the back yard or in a doctor's office. There is an unspeakable condition in this city today that is a disgrace to the city and an insult to every pure woman here. Do the people propose to sit down and twiddle their fingers and endure such a thing in utter defiance of law? They do not need to do so for a single day longer. When they rise up in their might and indignation and DEMAND that this thing shall cease, it will cease forthwith.
Now the great burning question is, what are you and you and you going to do about these things?
Michigan, Deaths and Burials Index, 1867-1995
Name: Pearl Calkins
Birth Date: abt 1888
Birth Place: Michigan
Death Date: 16 Dec 1912
Death Place: Clare, Clare, Michigan
Death Age: 24
Occupation: Farm Laborer
Race: White
Marital status: Single
Gender: Male
Father Name: James Calkins
Mother Name: Susan L. Andie/Andres
HORRIBLE DEATH
------
Pearl Calkins Ground Under Car Wheels
------
On Monday, Pearl Calkins, son of J. M. Calkins of Farwell, a young man about 24 years of age, met a terrible death in this city. He came here on the 9:58 train as we are informed and was around town till toward noon, being seen on the south aide just before that hour making toward the depot. A little later he was seen climbing up the ladder of a car in a west bound P.M. freight train and was standing between the cars. As it was about the noon hour, the force of men at work near the depot, and loading coal cars west of there were at dinner, otherwise possible the train men may have been warned. From marks on the ground it would seem that he fell on the track and was pushed along some 30 rods before wheels passed over him, severing both legs near the body. When found, perhaps fifteen minutes later, he was partially conscious and was taken on a hand car to the depot, thence to Thurston's undertaking rooms where he died about six o'clock.
A jury was impanneled by Justice Thurston and after hearing some testimony a verdict of accidental death was rendered and thus endith the first chapter.
Chapter 2
We are not writing this chapter for the pleasure of it but because we feel that it needs to be written and some one must be brave enough to do it. The simple awfulness of sending a soul into eternity under such circumstances is not a matter to be joked about but calls for some serious thought. It will be exceedingly well for every citizen to take an inventory of himself and decide whether his garments are not stained with the blood of this unfortunate young man and the tears of his heart-broken mother. We find no fault with the verdict of the jury. We do not know who composed the jury, and it is of no consequence. Very likely the verdict was justified by the evidence submitted to them; but the matter should have been probed to the bottom and the responsibility fixed where it belongs. It would have been very easy to ascertain that at the time this man climbed on the train he was intoxicated, intoxicated to a degree that it was impossible for him to walk straight. It would have been little less than a miracle if he could have gone any distance on this train without falling off. The jury could have been informed that he had on his person two pint bottles of whiskey (perhaps more) and that this was purchased on the prescription of a physician of this city. They could have learned that he was a man in habit of becoming frequently intoxicated, in short that he was a man to whom no saloon could sell a drop of liquor without violating the law. It was an utter and gross perversion and violation of the whole intent and purpose of the law. And yet this is the kind of business that has been going on here week after week and month after month and the people of this city have sat supinely by and submitted to it. If the men of this city are so utterly cowardly and pusillanimous that they propose any longer to tolerate this brazen and impudent defiance of law, then they deserve all the contempt that doubtless law violators feel for them. It would be no more absurd and preposterous to insist that nothing should be done to stop the numerous burglaries here. In point of respectability, a burglar will not suffer in comparison with a bootlegger, indeed the latter is more dangerous to society, and we don't care a pinch of snuff whether he plies the business in a lumber pile in the back yard or in a doctor's office. There is an unspeakable condition in this city today that is a disgrace to the city and an insult to every pure woman here. Do the people propose to sit down and twiddle their fingers and endure such a thing in utter defiance of law? They do not need to do so for a single day longer. When they rise up in their might and indignation and DEMAND that this thing shall cease, it will cease forthwith.
Now the great burning question is, what are you and you and you going to do about these things?
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