人兽性交

According to the records, the largest bell was donated by the Holy Name Society and members of St. Mary's, and has the name of Jesus-Joseph. The second bell, donated by the Rosary and Scapular Society, is called Mary, and the third bell is named John in memory of John Stack.

Who was John Stack, and why was the bell named in his memory? I could find nothing in the church records.

Thankfully, the information I obtained on him and his family was due to the research done by Jessica Armstrong and Karen Bove in the Cayuga County Historian鈥檚 Office, Lin Sullivan of the History Room at Seymour Library, and Karen Radcliffe from the Cayuga Museum of History & Art 鈥� all of whom I gratefully thank. This is John Stack's story.

He was born on Nov. 9, 1886, in Weedsport, and was the son of Catherine and Thomas Stack. The family home was at 37 Garrow St. in Auburn. He married Loretta Moore in 1919 and they had one son, Joseph, and three daughters, Rita, Mary and Margaret. John was a fireman on the Lehigh Valley Railroad. John鈥檚 brother, Thomas, also worked for the Lehigh Valley but was badly injured in an accident and left his position as fireman to become a crossing flagman in the Auburn Lehigh yard. Later on, he became a guard at Auburn Prison.

At 6:20 on the evening of Oct. 31, 1925, John was killed when the train on the Auburn-Ithaca branch went through an open switch at the Oakwood Station (located between Cayuga and Half Acre). The engineer, Edward Smith, was injured and the 10 passengers on the train escaped with no injuries. The engine of the train overturned when it went through the open switch and smashed into a big freight car on the sidetrack. According to the article in the Nov. 2, 1925, edition of 人兽性交, 鈥淛ust how the switch came to be open is still unknown and an investigation is in progress under the direction of Supt. Patrick T. Reilly of the Auburn Division of the Lehigh. It is said that a freight train passed safely over the same trackage only a short time before the wreck of the passenger train. At any rate the passenger train went through the open switch. Engineer Edward Smith was at the throttle; John Stack was at the firemen鈥檚 side of the cab and W.L. Bates was conductor of the train. When the train went through the switch the ties were torn up and the rails broken and twisted. Stack is thought to have been caught between the engine and tender of the big mogul. ... He was rushed to Mercy Hospital in Auburn where he was attended by Dr. Louis F. O鈥橬eil and hospital staff. Stack died less than two hours after arrival.鈥� He was 39 years old.

By Nov. 3, the tracks were repaired and the investigation began. Information had been received that boys were playing in the vicinity of the switch and were engaged in Halloween pranks by tampering with the switch. However, when the investigation was finally completed and reported, it was stated in the Feb. 2, 1926, edition of 人兽性交: 鈥淭he wreck of the passenger train ... was caused by the negligence of the crew of a freight train in leaving a switch open. ... The switch had been left open by conductor Dening and brakemen Otis and Sullivan of freight train Extra 738 which did considerable switching at Oakwood earlier in the afternoon. ... Both brakemen forgot to close the switch and the conductor, contrary to order, did not check up on them, the report says. Oakwood is a flag stop and Engineer Smith of the passenger train was looking ahead to see if there were any passengers waiting for him and did not see the red lamp of the switch. He saw the open switch points when almost upon them and applied the brakes but too late to prevent derailment. The ICC report lays the blame on the crew of the freight train and says an adequate block signal or automatic stop system would have prevented the wreck.鈥�

John and his family were parishioners of St. Mary鈥檚 Church. His wake was held at the family home on 34 Aspen St. According to 人兽性交 in the Nov. 3 edition, 鈥淭he funeral of the dead fireman will be largely attended if the number of Auburnians who viewed the body at his home on Aspen Street last night are any criterion.鈥� The funeral Mass was held on Nov. 4. The three priests of the parish celebrated the solemn high Mass and a large delegation of the Knights of Columbus and railroad men attended the service. The honorary bearers were William McLean, Michael Poohl, James H. Rogers, William McQueeney, P.D. Conway, Jerry Quill and Philip F. Lyons, and Fourth Degree members of the Knights of Columbus. The active bearers were Edward Flanigan, Michael Considine, Grove Timerson, Bernard Nolin, James Falley, Joseph Brady, Joseph Means and William Bergan."

It also stated in 人兽性交: 鈥淭he deceased was one of the most popular men on the Lehigh system. He had been an engineer during the busy season of the Lehigh but was set back to fireman under the seniority rules of the road when business slacked up due to the coal strike. He was a member of the Holy Name Society of St. Mary鈥檚 Church, of Auburn Council, Knights of Columbus and of the Brotherhood of Railroad Engineers and Firemen. He was known as an exemplary citizen and a kind and loving husband and father."

Interestingly, John鈥檚 widow, Loretta, married his brother, Thomas, in 1938, but they had no children. Loretta died in 1977, Thomas died in 1973, Rita died in 1983 having never married, and there is no mention of Mary after 1940 and it remains a mystery as to what happened to her. Margaret married Edward Williamson and had a son named Joseph. Margaret died in 1988 and Joseph died in 2000. Sadly, John and Loretta Stack's only son, Joseph, 21, drowned in 1945 while diving from a boat in Great Sodus Bay. The Stack family is buried in St. Joseph鈥檚 Cemetery.

Unfortunately, there is no record as to who contributed the money for the bell in his memory. Perhaps the donations came from the Knights of Columbus, the Lehigh Valley employees and other people who knew him.

When you hear the bells of St. Mary鈥檚, perhaps you will think of John Stack and why a bell was named 鈥淛ohn鈥� in his memory.