A 36-year-old native of Serbia who was a road worker on the State highway, took his own life in March 1932 by walking head-on into a fast-moving express train heading into Millersburg, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania. Here’s how it was reported in the local and area newspapers:
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From the Harrisburg Evening News, March 14, 1932:
MAN ENDS LIFE ON R. R. TRACKS
Despondent and said to be “tired of living,” a man identified as Nickola Popora, 36, Serbian roadworker employed on the State highway between Millersburg and Sunbury, walked into the path of a fast Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train, near Millersburg, yesterday afternoon, and was killed instantly. Popora, who was said by witnesses to be intoxicated when he committed suicide, had no home and no known family connections.
Traveling alone from one construction job to another the Serbian had been living with other highway employees at Mahantongo, a small village about five miles north of Millersburg, according to Dr. Harry Walmer, Millersburg Deputy Coroner. He was identified through a promissory note and a letter addressed to Paxton R. D. 2.
George Barnhart, the only eyewitness to the accident, said he saw the man visit a house, presumably that of Peter Keiser, of River Street, Millersburg, and then return to the railroad tracks. He was ground to pieces beneath the train at the rear of the Lykens Valley Dairy, about a half mile north of Millersburg. Dr. J. E. Bogar, Millersburg physician who was called to the scene, declared that Popora had been walking between the tracks for some distance as no crossing was near the point where he was struck. The locomotive was traveling toward Harrisburg.
The body was turned over to Undertaker W. J. Minier, of Millersburg, to await claim by relatives or burial in Potter’s Field.
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From the Chambersburg Public Opinion, March 14, 1932:
ROAD WORKER WALKS HEAD-ON INTO TRAIN
Harrisburg, March 14 [1932] — A Serbian roadworker employed on the State Highway between Millersburg and Sunbury committed suicide yesterday afternoon by walking head-on into a fast Pennsylvania Railroad passenger train near Millersburg.
The man, who had no home and no known family connections here, was intoxicated when the train hit him, witnesses believe. He was struck while walking between the railroad tracks and was ground to pieces.
A promissory note and a letter addressed to Paxton R. D. 2, led to identification of the mangled body as that of Nickola Popora, 36.
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From the Millersburg Times, March 16, 1932:
SERBIAN ROADWORKER KILLED BY TRAIN HERE
Potters Field!
There, in Oak Hill Cemetery, another plain stone slab will appear, marking the grave of Nikola Popora, 36, Serbian roadworker killed Sunday afternoon by the Buffalo and Washington Express due through here at 4:35 P. M.
Nikola had followed a long trail as he wandered homelessly from one construction to another. Perhaps he was a little homesick than ever before on Sunday afternoon as he thought of home in that small country in far off southeastern Europe where life is difficult amid mountainous country and constant race conflict.
“Tired of life,” he had told Mahantongo villagers five miles north of here [Millersburg] and perhaps for that reason he walked into the Pennsylvania express and was ground to death n the tracks at the rear of the Lykens Valley Sanitary Dairy.
George Barnhart, of this place, saw the tragedy while Dr J. E. Bogar, local physician, declared that it was evident that the man was walking towards the train.
The body was turned over to the Minier Funeral Parlors to await claim by relatives or burial in Potter’s Field.
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From the Elizabethville Echo, March 17, 1932:
TAKES LIFE BY WALKING IN PATH OF TRAIN SUNDAY
Identified As Serbian Laborer On Millersburg-Sunbury Highway
A man identified as Nickolo Popora, 36, employed as a laborer on the highway between Millersburg and Sunbury, took his own life when he walked on the tracks of the Pennsylvania Railroad on the northern limits of Millersburg, and was ground beneath the wheels of a passenger train, Sunday afternoon. Witnesses of the man’s actions expressed the belief that he was under the influence of liquor at the time.
The man had no family associations in Millersburg or Sunbury and lived at Mahantongo near the scene of the highway construction project. Residents of that town said Popora told them he “was tired of life.” He had been engaged on a number of highway construction jobs throughout the state.
It is said that Popora walked to the home of Peter Keiser in Millersburg, who he said he did not know the man and that he forbade him to enter the house. Popora then started on his return to Mahantongo, walking on the tracks. He was killed near the plant of the Lykens Valley Dairy of Millersburg by a southbound passenger train that afternoon about 4:20 o’clock.
The body was so badly mangled that only papers that he carried in his pocket made identification possible. It was turned over to W. J. Minier, Millersburg funeral director to await disposition by relatives or burial in the potter’s field.
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From the Newport News-Sun, March 24, 1932:
KILLED BY TRAIN AT MILLERSBURG
A Serbian roadworker employed on the State Highway between Millersburg and Sunbury, committed suicide Sunday afternoon, March 13 [1932], by walking head-on into a fast Pennsylvania railroad passenger train near Millersburg.
The man, who had no home and no known family connections in Millersburg, was intoxicated when the train hit him, witnesses believe. He was struck while walking between the railroad tacks, and was ground to pieces.
A promissory note and a letter addressed to Paxton R. D. 2, led to identification of the mangled body as that of Nickola Papora, 36.
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News articles are from Newspapers.com.
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