Newspaper

The Kansan Sept. 15, 1898. Frank E. Streeter, a prominent citizen of Hesston, met his death in a horrible manner at noon today. He fell from the Frisco train as it turned south, striking the ground with such force that his skull was fractured and death instantaneous. Streeter was on his way to the Buffalo Bill show at Wichita, and was one of the last to board the train. His wife and two sons were with him. They were inside the car and the first they knew of his horrible end was when the were apprised of it by telegraph while en route. The chair car and the smoker end of the first coach were full to overflowing, and a number were standing on the platforms, Streeter among them.He was on the platform of the chair car. The train left behind time and by the time it reached the carriage factory, it had reached a high rate of speed. As the train turned south, it is probable that the sudden lurch threw the unfortunate man to the ground. He struck on his head between the tracks while his heel made a hole just inside the rail of the track to the north. From this point, the body rolled about thirty-five feet, going over a clearance post which stands about six inches above the ground. The body was found with the head toward the south, just a few feet from the south track. Blood is spattered on the ties along the path the body took. Mack Wright and Frank Speckman, at the rail mill, saw Streeter fall, and immediately ran to him, followed by others from the mill. When the body stopped rolling, one leg was raised feebly and then dropped. By the time the young men reached the body, the man was dead. The skull was fractured and a large pool of blood had formed before the body could be brought in. A switch engine with a flat car was soon on the spot, and the body taken to the express office. It then presented a sickening sight. The brains oozed from a hole in the back of the head,while blood flowed from the eyes, nose, mouth and ears. The eyes protruded from their sockets. Streeter is an old citizen of Harvey county, coming here about twenty-eight years ago, with his parents from Vermont. He was at this time, a farmer and cattle man, but has been a grain buyer and coal merchant and has been in mercantile business. His home has been at Hesston, of which place he was postmaster under Cleveland. He was a prominent man in his neighborhood and is in good circumstances. He always carried money with him. About $15 was found on the body and it was said that some money was picked up near the place where the body fell. His ticket to Wichita was found in one of his pockets. Streeter was but a boy when he came here with his parents. He was married to the youngest daughter of Amos Prouty. Four children were born to them: Nina, aged 19, Ruby, about 15, Roy, about 8, and another son, aged about 3. The family home is situated about a half mile south of Hesston, where they have lived ever since they were married. It includes 160 acres; Streeter also owned another section between Newton and Hesston. A friend remarked this afternoon that he never saw Streeter leave town that he did not stand on the platform when the train pulled out smoking. Today he had his lunch basket, which was found near where the body struck. At 3:30 Coroner James McKee empaneled the following jury: J. T. Ray, J. W. Patterson, A. L. Miller, C. w. Chase, Jake Remer and Chas. Johnson. Mart Covert was the first witness. He identified the body, and testified to having seen Streeter leaving the waiting room at the depot and board the Frisco train.