Submitted by
Loyd Bishop

HORRIBLE DEATH
Of James M. Nolder, at Ponca City, Tuesday Night
BODY GROUND TO PIECES
Beneath The Wheels Of a Freight Train
Wednesday’s Daily

James M. Nolder, of this city, was instantly killed at Ponca City, last night, by being run over by a double header freight train, the body being ground into an unrecognizable mass.
Mr. Nolder left this city yesterday evening at five o’clock, for Ponca City, where he expected to meet his young son, who several months ago had ran away from home. It was his intention to try to persuade the boy to come home. He arrived at Ponca City about six o’clock. As to his movements there for the next hour or so, no one seems to know anything about them.
He was seen at the depot as the passenger train went south, about eight o’clock in the evening. He appeared to be sick, and was vomiting, and was assisted to the east side of the depot, where he sat down. This seems to be the last seen of him until a freight train pulled in at the depot, and the engineer announced he had run over a man down south of the stockyards, which are about a half a mile south of Ponca City.
Parties immediately went to the scene of the accident and discovered the remains of a man ground into a shapeless mass, portions of the remains being found for half a mile along the track. On the body was found his watch, badly battered, but the hands had stopped at 9:35 showing the exact time of the accident. A bank-book was also found on his person, giving his name and address, and some money found in his pocket. Word was telephoned to this city this morning, and Marshal Lund, Deputy Sheriff Baker, and Bun Butler immediately left for Ponca City.
There will always be a mystery hanging over the death of James Nolder. He was a man who stood high in the estimation of all who knew him in this city. He was a member of the Methodist church and chorister of the Methodist Sunday school. He was also a Knight of Pythias, and carried an insurance policy of $1,000 in the Fraternal Aid Association. His acquaintances here absolutely refuse to entertain the idea that he was under the influence of liquor, and attribute his vomiting at the depot at Ponca City to some other cause, possibly foul play. How he came to be nearly a mile south of Ponca City when he was run over by the train no one will probably ever know. That is one of the mysteries that will probably never be solved.
The deceased leaves a widow, a daughter and two sons, the widow, daughter and one son living here in Blackwell. The remains will be taken to Longton, Kansas, his former home, for burial.