Obituary of James Madison Grim
MR. J.M. GRIMM AND WIFE MET INSTANT DEATH WHEN STRUCK BY ROYAL BLUE FLYER ON THEIR WAY HOME FROM THIS CITY
[Washington Court House]. Their friends in Washington and all over the county were struck with horror Tuesday evening when they learned that Mr. and Mrs. Madison Grimm, whom they had seen but a couple of hours earlier on the streets of Washington, had been struck by the Royal Blue Flyer at Haines Crossing, north of Bloomingburg, and their lives snuffed out in an instant.
It was a most tragic affair as it is seldom that the lives of both husband and wife are winged by death at the same instant, as was the occurrence Tuesday afternoon at 3:30. They live about one and one-half miles west of Madison Mills, and they were returning home from Washington, where they had spent the day with their daughter, Mrs. Ernest Devaney. They were in a storm buggy and facing a blinding snow storm, and when crossing the railroad near the Hugh Pinkerton farm residence, they were struck by the West bound B.& O. fast train, which is due at Washington at 3:32 p.m. Death was instantaneous no doubt, as the heads of both were almost completely severed.
The train was stopped and the remains were taken to Bloomingburg. The body of Mrs. Grimm was carried by the cowcatcher for a distance of about a quarter of a mile, before the train could be stopped. The rig was struck at the north crossing, and was carried almost to the lower crossing and hurled to one side by the engine. As soon as possible the train was stopped and returned to the place of striking and both bodies were placed in the baggage car and carried to Bloomingburg. Several passengers on the train were Washington people and were witnesses of the removal of the bodies, one from the cow catcher and the other from the side of the track to the baggage car.
Mr. and Mrs. Grimm were well known in northern Fayette and had a host of friends all over the county, and had a family of nine children, three boys and six girls, the youngest being 14 years of age, viz: Mrs. M.W. Eckle of near Madison Mills; Worley of Commercial Point; Wilson of Waterloo; Mrs. Ernest Devanney, of this city [Washington CH]; Marjory, Mary, Corda, Matthew and Martha, at home. It was a terrible shock to the family and friends and they have the deep sympathy of the entire community. Mr. Grimm was a member of the K. of P. Lodge at Madison Mills, and both Mr. and Mrs. Grimm belonged to the Pythian Sisters at Madison Mills. The funeral was held at the M.E. Church in Bloomingburg, at 1 p.m. Thursday, and burial at the Bloomingburg cemetery.
Although both Mr. and Mrs. Grimm were badly bruised and disfigured and the rig almost completely destroyed, the horse escaped any injury whatever.