Albert Pullen

North Taylor Review (Sharpsburg, Iowa) Thursday October 19, 1916 [p. 1]

Burned With Car

Albert Pullen, aged 69, who lived on a farm between Blockton and Bedford on the Waubonsie trail, was killed about two miles east of Clarinda and his body partly burned under his over turned automobile.

Mr. Pullen was driving home about 7:30 o'clock. In some unaccountable manner his car overturned on a piece of good road where there is only a slight grade, and Mr. Pullen was caught underneath the machine.

Leaking oil caught fire and a blaze of some proportion resulted. Why the car was not totally consumed does not seem clear to the authorities.

Mrs Brooks, wife of a farmer living not far from the scene of the accident, thought that she heard screams sometime in the night, and arousing neighbors a search was made by farmers who found Mr. Pullen's lifeless body under the partly consumed car.

Today the coroner is holding an inquest. Mr. Pullen's body was not badly burned and it is thought death may have resulted from his injuries and suffocation, one or both.

The deceased was one of the best-known men in southwestern Iowa and was a member of one of the most prominent and widely known families. He leaves a widow and nine children, all grown. Burial will be in a family plot south of Clarinda. —Daily Nonpareil.

Bedford Free Press Tuesday October 17, 1916 [p. 1]

GAY TOWNship man BURNED TO death

ABE PULLEN DIES AS FORD UPSETS AND GASOLINE TANK EXPLODES

Had Been to Nebraska City Taking Son Home—Was Making Return Trip When Accident Happened—Body Burned to Crisp.

Abe Pullen, a farmer residing in Gay Township between Bedford and Blockton, was burned to death yesterday evening when his car turned over and caught fire, on the north Waubonsie out of Clarinda. Pullen was about 60 years old and leaves a wife and family to mourn his death.

Although at this time the information received is not as clear as will be later on, it seems as if Pullen had driven his car to Nebraska City, where he had taken his son and daughter-in-law, who had been visiting him, home. He was making the return trip when the accident happened. From all appearances the car had overturned and in some unknown manner the gas tank exploded, pinning Pullen under the car. The accident happened about 7 o'clock and was near a farmhouse. A woman living there saw the whole affair and summoned help, but before anyone could arrive the car had burned considerable with Pullen underneath.

Several cars of people came out from Clarinda, among them being Charles Wieser, who formerly worked at Thompson's garage, but [is] now employed at the Day & Night garage at Clarinda. Efforts were being made to identify the owner of the car, but he was burned to a crisp and identification was impossible. Wieser on looking over the car happened to see several features about the Ford that made him think of the Pullen car, which was sold at Bedford last fall and Sheriff Morley was notified to find out the serial number of the car sold Pullen. This was done and then it was established that the car belonged to the Gay township man. It was known he had a son working near Clarinda and he was called, but owing to the burned conditions of his father's body, he was unable to identify him until he looked at his watch.

The body was taken to Clarinda and will probably be brought to his home east of Bedford today. The car was a total wreck; people seeing it stated that there was nothing left but the steel frame. Even the aluminum top of the crankcase was melted off.

Bedford Free Press Tuesday October 24, 1916 [p. 1]

EVIDENCE given at INQUEST CONCERNING death OF Pullen

Following is the evidence given before the coroner's jury, held last Tuesday morning at Clarinda concerning the death of Albert Pullen, the Taylor county man, who burned to death pinned beneath his car last Monday evening. The evidence gives a more detailed account of his death than was published last week:

Mr. Pullen has two sons and one daughter living at Nebraska City. The father went on Friday of last week to Nebraska City to bring the younger of the two boys home for a few days' visit. He took him back to his home in Nebraska City Sunday and was returning to his home near Blockton Monday when the accident happened.

According to the testimony given by a chauffeur at the Night and Day garage at this place, a man, without a doubt Pullen, came to the garage between four and five o'clock Monday evening and purchased some gasoline. After he left the garage, he was lost track of, but it is believed that when he left town he was very much intoxicated.

J. R. Snodderly and Otis Lucas of this city, upon their return to Clarinda from the east, Monday evening, found a drunken man in a Ford car in a ditch beside the road that passes up the Rawlings hill. They extricated him from his difficulty and got him started on his way.

The next heard of him is told by Mrs. Albert Brooke, who was at her home two miles east of Clarinda, with her children, Mr. Brooks being absent from home at the C. W. Kelly home. Mrs. Brooks testifies she heard a peculiar noise about 7:30 o'clock in the evening and when she went out doors to find whence it came she saw the lights of an automobile facing her house, which is on the south side of the road. This made the automobile stand across the road, and thinking that the occupant or occupants of the car were aiming to turn the car around, she went back into the house. Soon she heard yelling and going to the door on the north of the house, she heard loud cries and cursing. Thinking the car was driven by a party of drunken men, and very frightened, she went to the rear of the house where she could observe without being observed. The yelling went on and not knowing what to think, but unwilling not to help a person in distress, she telephoned her husband to come home at once. Going again to the front door, she saw the automobile was on fire and hastened back to telephone to Ed Driftmier who is a near neighbor. When she went again to look at the burning car, a loud explosion was heard and the machine seemed to go up in one great burst of flame. All was still now at the scene of the fire. Very soon after, Mr. Driftmier and sons arrived at the Brooks farm and not long after, Mr. Brooks and C. W. Kelly. As soon as they could get near the burning car, they found it almost a total wreck and the body of a man which had been pinned under the machine burned so terribly that it was a charred mass, unrecognizable.

They found the number of the car and then telephoned to the garages in this city to find whether or not they had seen or knew anything of its driver. The one to which Mr. Pullen had taken his machine for gasoline, said the car had stopped there and that its driver was also its owner and that he lived near Bedford. Further inquiry revealed the fact that Albert Pullen was the owner's name and his family was summoned to recognize, if possible, the body. From small pieces of clothing, the only remnants remaining, the man's watch, knife, and some small pieces of money which the men at the Night and Day garage recognized as pieces they had given him in change, the coroner's jury believe, beyond a doubt, that the man's identity is established. That was the chief aim of the jury.

The inquest was held Tuesday morning at the undertaking room of Charles Oats to which the body of the unfortunate man had been previously taken.

The coroner's jury consisted of Roy Sherman, Curtis Hines and W. B. Breese. Their verdict was as follows:

We believe from the evidence submitted that the body is that of Mr. Albert Pullen of Taylor county. We find that he came to his death by burning while caught beneath his overturned car.

Bedford Free Press Tuesday November 7, 1916 p. 2

Obituary — Albert Pullen

Albert Pullen, son of John Pullen and wife, was born in Wayne County, Ind, August 28th, 1850, and departed this life October 16th, 1916.

When a small boy, with his parents, he moved to Davenport, this state, and later to Warren county, Ill. where he was united in marriage to Miss Margory H. White on September 15th, 1872. To this union twelve children were born, three having preceded the father to the great beyond — two in infancy and John sixteen years ago at the age of 26 years. The children surviving are Allie E.[llsworth] of New Market ; Charlie M. [ontgomery], of Nodaway ; Jesse C. , of Nebraska City, Neb . ; Mrs. Cora J. [ane] Cordell of Nebraska City, Neb.; Sylvester I., of Duncombe; Silas L. [eonard], of Gravity, Dovie D. [elbert], of Nebraska City, and Tapan [Tappan Harland] and Margery who are still at home near Blockton.

In 1877, with his family, he moved to Page County, near Shambaugh, and in 1899 moved to Taylor County near Blockton where he has since resided.

In 1903 he united with the Baptist church. He was a kind and loving husband and father and a good neighbor.

He leaves to mourn their loss the wife, 9 children, 20 grandchildren, a brother and a sister, besides a host of other relatives and friends. His brother, Joseph Pullen, resides near Shambaugh and the sister, Mrs. Alice Harding, in Seattle, Wash.

The funeral services were held from the Mennonite church at Shambaugh, on Wednesday, the 18th, conducted by Rev. Field, the Baptist minister at New Market, assisted by the Mennonite minister at Shambaugh The body was laid to rest in the Davis cemetery northeast of Shambaugh.

[Note: The same obituary was published in the Blockton News, October 26, 1916, p. 1]

Blockton News Thursday October 19, 1916 [p. 1]

A. Pullen Burns to Death

Albert Pullen, who owns, and with his family, has lived on the old H. M. Mincks farm, 3 1/2 miles north west of town for several years, was burned to death Monday evening when his car turned over and caught fire. The scene of the terrible accident was on the north Waubonsie trail between Clarinda and New Market.

It seems that Mr. Pullen had driven to Nebraska City, Nebraska, Sunday, taking his son, Dovey, to that place and was on his return trip when the accident which caused his death occurred. He had filled his gasoline tank and lit his lamps at Clarinda and had reached a point about 100 yards from the foot of the hill on the west side of the second river out of Clarinda when in some manner the car turned over. The accident probably happened between 7 and 8 o'clock. A woman at a farmhouse nearby heard his calls for help but when she reached a point about 100 feet away the presto or gasoline tank exploded and she returned to the house and called for help. Before help arrived the car was badly burned with Mr. Pullen under the wreckage.

A number of automobile loads of people came out from Clarinda and among them was a young garage man who had formerly worked for the garage people at Bedford who sold the car to Mr. Pullen. This man recognized certain marks on the car and by telephoning to Bedford for the serial number of the engine on the Pullen car the ownership of the car was established.

Taphan [Tappan] Pullen, a son, was working near Clarinda and when he arrived on the scene, while unable to identify the body as that of his father, was able to identify his watch.

Other members of the family were called and the body was taken to the undertaking parlors at Clarinda. The funeral services were held at Shambaugh yesterday and interment was made in a cemetery at that place. Several from here drove to Shambaugh to attend the funeral.

The bereaved wife and children have the sympathy of all in this sad hour of bereavement.