April 28, 1921: Unexpected Train Whistle Signals Unexpected Fatal Accident

By Margaret Leidy Harner from her book One Day at a Time: A Social History of Boyertown, PA.

April 28, 1921: The freakish shriek of the train whistle, with no man’s hand on the cord, puzzled both the crew and passengers on the 6:00 Sunday morning Colebrookdale Railroad run from Barto to Pottstown. There was no explanation for the mysterious whistle until the train reached Pottstown, when blood stains were found on the engine and the remnants of a coat sleeve adhered to the machinery.

Messages were sent to points along the line and word soon came back that a dead man, whose body had been badly mangled, had been found along the tracks near the station at Bechtelsville.

The Coroner has pieced together the probable scenario. The whistle had been heard as the train passed the Bechtelsville station, and it is believed that the body was hit there and had been thrown high in the air. As it descended, it hit the tube that connects the whistle to its air tank and the momentary contact opened the whistle and let out a single freakish blast.

The dead man was known to farmers in the area, for whom he had occasionally worked. He had slept in a barn near Bechtelsville on Saturday night and had just started out on his day’s wanderings along the railroad track when the train came along and killed him. He was found with a bag hung over his shoulder in which he always carried his cooking utensils, frying pan and coffee cooker. He was known to them only as Jacob.

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• May 11, 1728: Walter and John Winter Hanged for Murdering Indians In a misguided effort to avenge a recent assault, Walter and John Winter murder Three Indians but were hanged instead of thanked to cement relationships with the natives.