St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1896-01-06
AND GROUND UNDER THE
WHEELS,
IT WAS A HORRIBLE FATE.
CONFUSED BY PASSING OF EN-
INES, HE JUMPED TO HIS
DEATH.
NAY HAVE BEEN A SUICIDE.
Had Been Heard but a Few Hours
Before to Say He Wished He
Was Dead.

While IN an intoxicated condition,
wandering across the steel arch bridge
about o'clock last evening, Charles
Sumner, an aged man, was instantly
killed, being run over by a street car.
Summers was a Well-knoWn character
about town. Last night, shortly before
s o'clock, it Is said, he was drinking
in a saloon near the bridge on the ISL
and He left there and started for the
West side, walking in the left-hand
driveway Of the bridge.
A moment before Summers left the
saloon a fire alarm had called the de-
partment to Nicollet and Washington.
The old man was about a quarter way
across the bridge when a fire wagon
came dashing up. Capt. Hamilton, of
No. l, was driving, and saw the man
in the middle Of the road in front Of
him. He stopped his horses and shout
ed to Summers, who also stopped and
appeared not to hear or pay any atten-
ton to him. Hamilton drove to one
side and passed the man.
A few moments after this occurrence
Car No. 571, on the Oak street car line,
came on the bridge. 1t WAS in charge
Of Conductor Lewis Johnson Daniel
Johnson was the motorman. The lat
ter also saw Summers walking along
the street in front of the car, at one
side Of the track, and, according to the
NEOIOI lIlotIl SlCi uc WoS NdlhlllS
Away from the track. The car was
going at a slow rate of speed, and
came to within three feet of Summers
in the very center of the bridge. Mo-
torman Johnson furiously pounded his
gong, but Summers seemingly paid no
attention, and before Johnson knew it
he had jumped in front of the car. The
headlight was broken, and there was
sound of crushing bones beneath the
wheels
The car was stopped inside of six
feet and Summers was found dead be-
tween the wheels. The truck had to be
lifted from the track before the body
could be removed The head was crush
ed, the legs broken and the face, long
gray beard and clothing, smeared with
blood and dirt presented a horrible
sight as the body lay beside the curb;
The car went on, going around the
loop and reporting at once to the barn.
No one knew the dead man and Coro-
ner KiStler was summoned After a
hasty examination the remains were
removed to the county morgue, where
an inquest Will be held today.
In pocketbook in one Of the pockets
Of the dead mans clothing was found
a brass baggage check on the WILDER
house, on First avenue north. There
were two whisky bottles, one broken
and the other empty, besides some val
liable papers and small pocket diary
containing a number of daily memo
randums, several of which were mark
ed each day simply: Up. F. Those
who knew Summers best interpreted
the letters to stand for pretty full
Inquiry at the Wilbur house identi-
fed the man. The check called for a
small va1ise which, when opened, was
found to contain only some rough I'M
derclothing and a Bible. When sober
Summers eked out a meagre existence
by sharpening razors and scissors
about town He had boarded at LA
First street north until Saturday, when
he came to the Wilbur house He was
last seen there about o'clock yester-
day afternoon During the day he had
told the troubles Of his life to number
of acquaintance. His wife was dead
and Of the nine children born to him
he did not know where one was, even
whether they were dead or alive He
had brother living somewhere in Da-
kota, but did not know where and final
~ remarked:
"I wish to God was dead"
The police incline to the opinion that
Summers was intoxicated and that the
noise Of the fire apparatus on the
bridge frightened him 1t is thought
he mistook the ringing Of the bell on
the street car for the warning Of the
approach OF another fire wagon. and
jumped on the tracks to get out of the
way of it The car had no fender in
front Of IL