John C Denton

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Knoxville Daily Chronicle (Knoxville, Tennessee), 7 Nov 1882, Tuesday

DISTRESSING DEATH

Conductor John Denton Meets With Instant Death. An extra coal train was sent out Saturday morning, bound west, in charge of Conductor John Denton. At a point three or four miles east of Riceville, about 9 o'clock, a.m., a wheel under the car first in front of the little red caboose burst, while the train was under good headway, and the caboose was thrown off and Captain Denton thrown out and killed instantly, he being crushed in the breast and body. His brakesman, a colored man, also in the caboose, was slightly hurt. The remains of Captain Denton were taken to Riceville, and an inquest held, when the following verdict was rendered:

State of Tennessee, McMinn County : An inquisition held near Riceville, in the county and State aforesaid, on the 4th day of November, 1882, before W. A. Brackett, J. P. of said county, upon the body of John Denton, there lying dead, by the jurors, whose names are hereto subscribed; who, upon thier (sic) oaths do say that he came to his death by cars being thrown from the track, or he being caught under the same.

W. A. Brackett, J. P., J. M. Atkins, A. B. Blankenship, H. W. Mize, T. F. Hayes, S. H. Morgan, Mart McKinney, jurors.

The first intelligence of the distressing accident reached the city soon after the occurrence, and cast a shock upon the many friends of the deceased. His brother, Capt. Will Denton, and his father-in-law, Policeman J. F. Kinzel took the 11 o'clock train, for the remains, and returned with them on the five o'clock train. They were met by friends and Undertaker L. C. Shepard, Esq., and placed in a burial case, and conveyed to the grief stricken home. His aged mother, bowed down in sadness, and a brother and sister, of McMinn County, accompanied the remains.

John Denton was a young man of noble instincts, exemplary habits and true moral worth. He began at the bottom round in railroading, several years since, and had worked himself up to a responsible position. He commanded the respect, esteem and confidence alike of employers and fellow-employees, and no man connected with the road was better thought of, both as a railroader and as a neighbor and friend. He was just in the prime of young manhood, with a promising future before him, and leaves a devoted young wife and two dear little children, whose cup of sorrow and excruciating grief is full to overflowing, and they have the profoundest sympathy of a host of friends. His sudden and sad taking off was one of those unforeseen accidents which men in railroad employ are subject to, but which could not be guarded against, so sudden and unpreventable was the accident.