Early car-train crash killed Dr. Otto P. Dillon

Rick Dawson

(Columnist’s note: Here’s one I’d like to share with you again. Since one of my favorite shows is History Detectives on PBS, I’m always trying to learn everything I can about the early residents of my old house. My search once led me to the following account from more than 100 years ago.)

Regular readers of this particular space will know that my old house was built in the 1840s by one of Rush County’s earliest doctors. In fact three generations of doctors came through this house, but the last one met an untimely end.

I found the following account of the death of Dr. Otto P. Dillon in the Rushville Republican of February 10, 1908. (While he had grown up in the old homestead, at the time of his death he had moved into Rushville, living in one of the large Main Street homes just north of downtown.)

While tragic, the story is a wonderful example of early 20th century newspaper writing. It is colorful and insightful.

The headline reads: Train Crashes Into Automobile Killing Prominent Physician. Three sub-headlines followed: Seemingly, Dr. O. P. Dillon Had a Premonition of the Tragic and Untimely Death at Railroad Crossing. Was Carried on the Pilot of the Engine. Steam Monster Dashed Through Resident District With Gruesome Human Freight, Whose Life’s Sands Were Fast Ebbing Away.

Here are some excerpts from the newspaper story.

Seemingly it was with a premonition of what became a reality hardly an hour afterwards that Dr. O. P. Dillon spoke to a fellow practitioner, Dr. C. H. Parsons, saying he had a constant fear of being run down by a train at the crossing near his house while riding in an automobile heavily curtained and hooded. It was with a shock that the people of this community heard of the sad and untimely death of the doctor yesterday.

The life of a man who stood high in his profession, both as a specialist and general practitioner was snuffed out, with barely a moment’s warning and the soul sent on its long last journey to eternity. The unfortunate accident occurred shortly after eleven o’clock (apparently AM) at the Main street crossing of the C.H&D; railroad.

Within a few feet of the railroad, with the fast approaching steam monster bearing down upon him, he made a heroic effort to stop the car, but evidently the machine skidded on account of the icy streets. Fully realizing the peril he was in and that he had to act quickly if he was to escape death, he made a desperate attempt to turn the auto alongside the tracks, but instead directed it squarely in the path of the train which was upon him in another instant.

His machine was lifted high into the air and completely demolished. A strange fact of the accident was that the unfortunate victim, together with the seat of the auto, alighted on the pilot of the engine and was carried to Harrison Street, two blocks distant before the train was brought to a stop. The grim spectacle of Dr. Dillon sitting in an upright position on the pilot of the engine as it sped along Fourth street, was the strange and startling sight which fell upon the eyes of those living and walking along the street.

Witnesses ran down along the track expecting to find the mangled remains of the physician and were surprised to find the victim on the front of the engine when the train was brought to a stand still. He was laid upon the ground and when it was it was found that life was not extinct, Mrs. Denny Ryan had them carry the doctor into her home on the corner of Harrison and Fourth streets, where he died about five minutes later.

Hundreds of people went to the Ryan home to see the remains before they were removed to the Fred Caldwell undertaking parlors.

Deceased would have been thirty-nine years of age in April. He was born and reared on the old Dillon farm in Center township and came from a family of physicians. Dr. Dillon was a man of exceedingly good taste. His residence, the old Gen. P.A. Hackleman home, was handsomely fitted and located for the purpose it was used. He was a student, a lover of the classic and beautiful and had a library of over one thousand volumes, among them many rare and valuable old books. Like all men in the world, he was misjudged in many things for he possessed many good traits and if charity covers a multitude of sins he will have many bright pages on that side of Life’s ledger.

Besides property valued (at) several thousand dollars, Dr. Dillon had $5000 in life insurance. It is understood that his son will come in for a goodly part of the estate.



Rick Dawson is a reporter for WISH-TV Channel 8 and a regular columnist for the Rushville Republican. You can reach him at rdawson@wishtv.com or rdawson@lightbound.com. Add a comment at www.rushvillerepublican.com.

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