Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1881-03-03
THE KILLED BOY.

The Second Inquest Leaves the Authors Of
Henry SchmidIfng's Death Unknown
The Fancy of Two Boys Evidence That
the Boy was Not Run Down by Dr.
Hands Sleigh, Rut by a Heavy Bob Sled.
AS announced yesterday, owing to certain
rumors concerning the manner in which the
lad Henry Schmidling came to his death, and
with the view Of adducing all the information
possible from what new testimony might be
submitted, it was decided to reopen the inquest.
This was deemed advisable, especially as a re-
port was circulated to the effect that covered
sleigh containing DR.. Hands son, young son
of Chas. Nichols and driver, had ran into
something while driving down Eighth street
the night of the accident. The inquest was
reopened at Coroner Dayenport's office on
West Third street yesterday afternoon. The
two lads and the driver were sworn, and while
the testimony was somewhat peculiar and con-
ficting, nothing of sufficient Importance was
developed to warrant change of the former
verdict.
DANIEL HBND.
Daniel Hand, the first witness called, testified
substantially as follows: Am eleven and one
half years old; witness and Charley Nichols
were driven to party last Tuesday night; left
the Metropolitan hotel few minutes after
o'clock; witness sat on the right side of the
cutter; Charley Nichols sat on his lap; started
for DR.. Breeds house, Eighth and Nell streets;
turned onto Eighth street two or three blocks
from the house.
When the sleigh turned the corner witness
thought he saw shadow or piece of CLOTH
thought it was on the right side; Charley said
think we've run over someone; witness said
she guessed not" witness got up and looked
tlo ,@f< H.
Willis, the driver, turned the corner very
slowly; when Charley made the remark,
Willis said it must have been shadow. At
the party Charley told little girl that he
thought they had run over some one;
had not felt any jar of the cutter; had not seen
any body; didn't think there was anything to
it; only saw shadow; didn't see lamp post
on the corner; it was on the corner of Seventh
street where the shadow was seen in turning
DIR. HAND.
Have driver by the name of Willis Gurney;
he drove the boys to party last Tuesday, a
| week ago; he is careful and reliable driver;
he sometimes provoked witness by driving too
slow.
Witness then alluded to a conversation with
the boys the day after the party; he had ques-
toned the boys and the driver: the son of wit
| ness alluded to seeing the shadow near the
sleigh; witness had traced the course by the
vehicle the night of the accident; it was DOS.
sible that the boy might have caught on to
| the cutter at Seventh and Olive streets for a
ride.
CHARLES NICHOLS.
Witness first alluded to the drive down town;
left the hotel ten or fifteen minutes after z
| o'clock; went out Washington to Seventh
and down Seventh street to one or two blocks
| tbic cido oft tho cfr
| into Eighth street, when the cutter turned of
Seventh street witness thought he saw some
thing; the cutter sloughed in turning the
| corner and the horse SHE'D; thought boy
| had been seen on the right hand side of the
Gu tier; witness said he thought they had
run over a boy; the driv-
er said 1t was a shadow;
thought Dan looked back; the horse was
| going at common trot; at the party little
| girl had told witness boy had been run over;
| witness replied he thought they had run over
| someone, the girl spoke to witness first; wit
| ness had spoken about it to Sam Breed; if
struck at all, it was by the right hand run
ner; had not felt any jar; man stood on the
corner in the direction from which the boy
| ran; in turning Eighth street,a lady stopped at
the crossing to let them go by.
WILLIS GURNEY,
| the driver, testified as follows: Have been a
driver in the employ of DR.. Hand for nine
months; Tuesday evening week ago drove
| the boys to Mr.. Breeds residence on Eighth
street; left the Metropolitan hotel about Z
O'Clock; drove down Washington street to
Seventh street; tnrned into Eighth street two
| or three blocks; went on the street car track;
| man stood on the corner were they turned
| off; after turning the boys exclaimed: evil
lis, what was that, did you see that" witness
| rQTn1ia d he cho
remember Of seeing the boys look back;
the cutter sloughed in turning the corner;
turned the corner very slowly; the sleigh ran
very smoothly; on the way home Charley
| Nichols said that he had told the folks that
| they had ran over man; drove down on the
right hand side of the track on Eighth street;
would have seen the boy had he ran In front
of the cutter; was driving on walk and was
| positive that he had not run over anyone,
would swear to it; it was top-covered sleigh.
Supt Walsh testified that he had examined
| the tracks in the snow and they were very wide
and clearly defined, Indicating that they had
been made by heavy bob runners instead of q
sleigh. Witness also alluded to the position
| of the lad when found; his head was towards
lower town; witness thought if the lad had
been dragged his head would have inclined the
other way.
The jury then visited DR.. Hands barn and
inspected the cutter.
After short elaboration the jury returned
the following:
THE VERDICT.
The jurors upon their oath do say that they
are unable to render any other verdict from
that previously rendered on the Esd day of
February, no sufficient new evidence being ad-
duced to justify any change in said verdict
John W. Griggs, j. F. PannelI, j. A. Allen,
R. L. Wharton, r. A. Becker and Jacob
Wechsler.
THE COURTS.