Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-12-09
A STRANGE ACCIDENT.

Two Brothers at Playa Fall of Three
Feet and Death in Few Minutes.
Two boys, Arthur and Willie Gauthier,
sons of DR.. b. P. Gauthier, - and Ia years
old, were at play yesterday afternoon when
death came to one, Willie, and the
other was the unhappy instrument in the
hands of good God. The remarkable and
fatal accident happened about 2:15 o'clock
P. NJ, in Sphinx & Sons vinegar factory on
Seventh street, few doors west of Jackson
street.
In the rear part of the store is
a hatchway opening into the cellar;
over this opening is windlass
and pendant from it hung cable rope by
which heavy watts, barrels, ETC., were hoisted
and lowered from floor to floor. The broth
ers had cotton hold of this rope, hanging
within two OF three feet of the cellar floor.
and were swinging to and fro. They had
been amusing themselves for some time at
this play. They were joking and laughing
with each other, and two spectators of the
sport, Frank and Fred. st. German, who
were looking down through the hatchway
upon the little fellows below. It came
Arthur's turn for a swing; he grasped the
iron hook at the end of the rope and pushed
himself forward. Willie grabbed him around
the waist as he came back. The sudden
pull of his brother caused Arthur to relax
his hold. The two fell to the GROUND,
a distance Of three feet, to-
gether, Willie fiat upon his back, and Ar
thur with the full force of his weight was
pulled down in sitting position upon Will
lies stomach. Willie gave conynlsive gasp
and emitted grooming sound. Arthur
sprang to his feet and looked to his brother;
he could not rise and seemed in agony, catch
ing for breath. Arthur gave the alarm and
was seconded by the two St. Germans, who
witnessed the accident. These two, VIM.
Stubbs and VIM. Bulge, the swo latter en-
gagged at work in the room over tho cellar.
made hurried descent, raised the injured
boy up and conveyed him up stairs. They
spread out buffalo robe and PLACID him on
it, near the stove. All this time he remained
speechless, and gave no Indication of life
save in gasping efforts to breathe.
Messengers were dispatched for medical as
sistance, and within short period Drs.
Owens and Mcdonald we're kneeling by the
side of the chill. They applied restoratiyes.
but received in response only one great
throb of the heart, and then he died. In the
meantime quite crowd had assembled,
among which one or two volun-
teered to inform the boys family,
and some others went for
the coroner. Mother and two sisters of the
dead boy were soon at his side. Their grief
was intense and most pitiful. Only short
hour before, the little fellow had left home
in ruddy, robust health and joyous spirits.
Now they were with him, and he dead. Be-
fore the arrival of the coroner, the family
were induced to return home, the prom
Use being given that son and
brother would soon be with them.
After some little delay, Coroner Stein came
in and promptly impanneled jury. The
jury being sworn in viewed the corpse, and
then it was taken home. verdict of acct
dental death was speedily returned, in &C
cordance with the above facts.
Drs. Owens and Mcdonald are both in ac-
cord in giving the opinion that death result
ed from shock. When the blow fell upon
the little fellow he tainted, and the shock
was SO great he could not recover.
DIR. Gauthier, the father, is absent in Win
nipeg, and the sad intelligence was prompt
ly teiegraphed to him.