Hello All,
Thanks to a suggestion made by Dick Tague, I contacted the White Hall Library and Alice, the wonderful librarian, sent me the following information. I was so happy to finally find great-grandpa!
Cheryl BARNES Salvi

White Hall Register
White Hall, Illinois
10 Oct 1913
p. 1, col. 1

R. BARNES KILLED SATURDAY

Found Beneath Chicago & Alton Railway Bridge Over Seminary Saturday Night.

INQUEST WAS HELD SUNDAY.

About eight o’clock Saturday night, Oct. 4, word reached White Hall that a man had been hit by a train at Seminary bridge, and L. G, Griswold, accompanied by James Youngblood, Sam Newton and Henry Hudson, immediately left for the scene of the accident in his auto. On arriving they found Robert Barnes of Roodhouse lying in the edge of the water beneath the bridge in a dying condition. His right leg was broken, heel of the foot crushed, and he was otherwise badly bruised. He was gotten out of the water but died before any explanation of the accident could be obtained. He was brought to Fox’s undertaking establishment where an inquest was held next day, the verdict being that he was accidentally killed by being struck by a train.
The body was taken to Roodhouse Sunday afternoon to the home of his sister, Mrs. Charles Deck, the burial taking place in Fernwood cemetery Monday morning.
There is some doubt as to the exact manner in which Barnes met his death. Some are inclined to believe he was struck by a freight, while others think the passenger hit him. Still others are of the opinion that he fell from the bridge in attempting to escape the oncoming train. Peter Kelly and Frank Thompson, who work for W. S. Cersa heard some one hollowing in the vicinity of the bridge but at first paid no attention to it. Finally Kelly said he thought some one must be in need of help, and taking a lantern went to the bridge where he found Barnes in the condition above mentioned.
It is said Barnes was here in the afternoon and wanted some one to go with him to the station and assist him in getting on a freight, as he wanted to go to Alton. He is said to have been partially paralyzed, and unable to board a train of any kind without difficulty. It was also stated that he had a railway ticket from White Hall to Alton, ant that he had fallen from the passenger train before the conductor had taken up the ticket. However, the report has not been verified. It is further stated that Barnes was very deaf, and the general supposition is that he started south on the track and did not hear the train that ran him down, but it is not certain which train hit him, as the passenger was an hour and a half late and a freight had passed just a few minutes ahead of it.
Mr. Barnes was about 55 years of age, was a farmer and formerly resided near Chesterfield, coming to Roodhouse last spring. He is survived by his mother, Mrs. Samuel Davis, two sisters, Mrs. Charles Deck, and Mrs. Hattie Lewis, all of Roodhouse. It is also reported that he has a wife and two children, a son John, aged five, and a daughter, Rebecca, aged ten months, also a married daughter living in Tennessee, but he had been living apart from his family for some time.