John had been an employee of the Burlington Railroad since March of 1888. He died about 9 o'clock at night while switching cars for a freight train. He apparently either slipped and fell or misjudged the speed and distance of the cars and was struck by one. He was run over by six train cars and an engine. His ``left leg was crushed and mangled from the body to the ankle. The right one was crushed from the knee to the ankle.'' All his obituary records him saying when he was discovered was, ``I'm killed, boys, I'm killed!''
The following story appears in the circa 1944 Lawler family history, while talking about the Lawler's time in Clinton County, Iowa:
A neighbor's son, John Kealy Jr. was out hunting with an old musket. He went to poke a rabbit out of a hole, when the gun went off, and filled his shoulder with shot. They took him to the Dr. and he picked out what shot he could get, and let the rest stay. John Kealy later became the husband of Alicia Lawler, youngest daughter of John Sr. and Mary Lawler.
Sources for this individual: @S1177@ @S544@ @S565@
