St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1884-12-26
CHRISTMAS DISASTER
To Party of Sleigh Riders Return
ing From East ST Paul to the
West Side.
Samuel Bollinger Killed, Lizzie Zimmerman
Shockingly Mangled, Mrs BoIlinger Seri-
Ously Injured Coroner's Inquest
To-Day.

At about O'Clock last evening a sad and
fatal accident occurred TO a Christmas
sleigh riding party of Germans, at the railway
crossing at the foot of the hill on East Third
street, in which Samuel Bollinger was killed
outright. his wife's shoulder dislocated, and
the left leg OF his niece, Lizzie Zimmerman,
broken just below the knee, her right ankle
terribly crushed, while large gashes were cut
in her left leg, in her forehead and upon the
side of her head.
The facts in the case seem to have been as
follows: Samuel Bollinger and his wife and
babe aud Adolph Bollinger and his mother
are residents of West St. Paul, though the
two families are not related. Yesterday
morning they dubbed il and hired single
horse and three seated sleigh of John Rel
mers, of West St. Paul, for a Christmas ride,
and proceeded TO the residence of Fred Boil
linger, son OF the deceased, near Hamm's
brewery. Afterwards with this son and wife
they stopped at Abraham Zimmerman's resi-
dence on Conway street, leaTing Fred and
his wife at her fathers.
The original party then left for home.
Adolph Bolliuger the young man driving
~.
Mrs. Bolingers, Zone having an infant,) oe-
cupying the middle seat. On their way to
wards home they came across Abrahsm Zim-
norman, and four children who got in TO the
sleigh occupying the rear seat. The party at
this time consisted, with the infant of nine
persons AS the establishment came upon
the Duluth track on Third street on their
wav from the bluff some say the
horse banked on the rails while
others affirm that the driver urged him
inward TO get across in the face Of Duluth
engine which was backing three cars up the
track At any rate Mr.. Zimmerman and
his boys saw the danger aud jumped from
the vehicle, as did also Mrs. Samuel Boil
linger with her babe in her arms, the latter
dislocating her shoulder.
The horse by this time was across the track,
and the rear car trucks smashed the sleigh
like an egg she'll, throwing Adolph Bollinger
and his mother outside the rails without any
particular injury, but catching Samuel
Bollinger and Lizzie Zimmerman under the
trucks and drag dng them or pushing them
upon the ice and rails for the full distance of
100 feet, killing the former instantly from
blows received upon his forhesd, and mang-
ling the little girl in the manner above de-
scribed.
III. JOhn II. murphy was llumtoidteil
summoned and in less than FIVE minutes
was on the spot. Finding Mr. Bollinger dead
he sent for Coroner Quinn and put him
in charge of the body and
sent the others Of the party home in q hack,
taking the wounded girl, still insensible, into
his sleigh and driving TO st. Joseph's hospi-
tai, where she could be kindly cared for by
the Sisters. Here he sci her limb, bandaged
the crushed ankle, and sewed up the huge
cash in her head just above the forehead,
and several other gashes on the side of her
head, before she had gained full conscious
ness, but when he stitched up the deep cash
just below her left knee, she had quite come
to her senses. She is q pretty looking. dark
haired and eyed girl of eleven
years of age, and seemed very
courageous and patient in her sad troubles
and elected the deepest sympathy from the
kind Sisters, who were doing everything to
mitigate her sufferings. DR.. Murphy said it
was miracle that this slender girl could
have been dragged so far under the train and
come out alive. He hardly thought, though
he had no fears of her not recovering, that
he could save the limb, which in that event
would have to be amputated.
Neither the body nor limbs OF Samuel Boil
linger showed any evidence of injury, but
there was a heavy cash under one of his
ears, and the marks of q severe blow across
his mouth, which had knocked In several
teeth He was about forty-eight years of age
and weighed in. the neighborhood of 10
pounds.
The inquest will be held at 4:30 this after
noon.