TAMPICO TORNADO

June 28, 1907

FOUND DEAD IN HIS BUGGY

Peter BRANTS Dies Mysteriously In Buggy While Riding South West of Here

Peter BRANTS, the nineteen year old son of Cornelius BRANTS who lives nine miles south west of Tampico was found dead in a buggy five miles west of Hooppole last Sunday evening about dusk. When found he was jammed closely down between the wheel and shaft and his foot was firmly under the seat. He was discovered dead in this position by X OBERLE near his farm. How the young man came to get into such a position, whether he fell, fainted or was affected by heart failure will never be known. When found his neck was broken, his shoulder and side badly xxx and the side of his face almost xxxxxed to a pulp where the spokes of the wheel hit his head as they went xxxxx. The paint was worn off the spokes all the way to the hub although the xxxxx walked from the last xxxx alive to when the when he was found dead.

The young man had been at the Catholic fair north west of Hooppole where he had pitched ball and started home with some boys toward evening. Meeting some other boys going to the evening session, he decided to turn around and go back also passing these boys. He left his companion and got into his own buggy. At KENNEY’s corner he passed some young men acquaintances to whom he exchanged greetings, further on he met some ladies in a rig and they noticed in the dusk that the rig apparently had no driver. They stopped at a farm house and notified by phone OBERLE the next house where there was any one home, to go to the road and catch a loose horse. OBERLE did as directed and was horrified to find Peter BRANTS in it dead. From the place where BRANTS spoke to the boys at the KENNEY’s corner to OBERLE’s where he was found is scarcely more than a quarter mile with one xxxx xxxx between. Right in front of the xxx xxx the cigar he was smoking xxx xxxx xxx. The xxx xxxx xxx in his pockets. The tracks of the buggy showed that he had started to turn into the place but then veered away. Whether he was standing up in the buggy for some purpose and fell forward, fainted or what will, never be known. Some think he over heated himself playing ball and then made himself sick eating ice cream, etc.

When the body was found it was taken to OBERLE’s corn crib and a doctor called but it was far to [sic] late. The coroners [sic] inquest was held Monday. The funeral was Tuesday afternoon at the house and then at the Evangelical church at Hooppole. Interment was also at Hooppole.

He was nineteen years of age and a son of Cornelius BRANTS. One brother Charles and two sisters, Mrs. Phillip GERBER and Mrs. Howard MATHIS survive who surely have the sympathy of everybody in the tragic death of the young man. He was also a relative of Fred and John BRANTS of this place, Cornelius BRANT [sic] is a brother of John and Fred.

Later developments indicate he died of heart trouble. Two other rigs passed him and the occupants of both state that his head was bent down on his breast and although they were acquainted with him he never looked up. It is presumed he was dead then. The horse probably stopped and this caused the body to pitch forward. Doctor BOHNETT made an examination of the young man a year previous to his death and records show BRANTS was affected with heart trouble. The coroner’s inquest brought out no other facts than given in this article and the verdict was death from an unknown cause. The funeral was one of the largest ever held in Hooppole, hardly half of the people being able to get into the church. The casket was buried beneath a mountain of floral tributes.