The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1897-08-06
A Fatal Accident on the Chicago &
Northw estern Track, Near the Big
Till Tuesday Night-The Unfortunate
Brakeman Stepped For Car That
Wasn't There and Went to his
Death-Resided in North Mankato
E-lnquest Wednesday Afternoon.

Several empty freight cars were being
switched ontoSthe most easterly side
track a block below the Hubbard
mill, 20 be used by the mill. At the
hour named, a string of two cars was
sent over the switch onto the side
track, Boney ASHLEY being the brake
man in charge. AS the first Car went
over the switch, the train crew heard
Ashley scream loudly and in mortal
agony. They fastened to him and
found him crashed and bleeding under
the forward end of the first freight
car. The car was moved back and
he was picked up and removed to the
hospital. As he was lifted up, he told
the train men in reply to their QEes-
tloning that he had thought that
there were three cars in the string.
whereas there were only two. and
that in the darkness he had attempt
ed to step to the supposed third Car
and had gone down under the car.
The accident happened about a
block north of the mill. The cars
were moving toward the mill from
the north, and Ashley stepped off the
south end of the southerly car. The
appearance of the track indicates
that he was dragged a hundred feet.
He evidently fell with his legs across
the easterly. rail and his body between
the two rails, and as he was large
man, weighing 2l1 pounds, the brake
beam caught him and ,scraped him
along the ground. The first wheel pass
ed over both legs, badly mangEng
them and tearing his clothing,a piece
of which with section Of bone and
quantity of blood could be seen close
to the switch this morning. There
was blood ION the ties to the point
where the car ceased to drag the vic
tim, Eand where a pool of blood
formed.
When Ashley was taken to the hos
pital, where he arrived at one O'Clock,
Drs. Warner, Harrington and Hol-
brook were Summoned. They soon
saw that there was little hope of say
ing the man, but did all possible for
him and eased his last moments.
Ashley was conscious and rational up
to within twenty minutes of his death,
which occurred shortly before three
o'clock. His wife and two children
visited the hospital, and he greeted
them with kisses. He told the sur
geons that he didsnot know how the
accident happened.
The surgeons found three scalp
wounds, one on the side of the head,
one over the right eye, and the most
serious at the back of the head, crush
ing the outer plate of the skull. The
latter wound might have been made
by the brakebeam striking the mans
head. The face had some other cuts
and bruises. There were compound,
comminuted fractures of both limbs.
The right limb, both bones and flesh,
was terribly mangled between the
ankle and knee, and the left leg was
injured above the knee, but more SER
iously below the knee, where both
bonesswere also broken. Death was
due to the terrible shock to Ashley's
system. Had he lived. both legs
would have had to have been ampu-
tated at the thighs.
Coroner Paddock was summoned at
5 100 a. M. and viewed the scene of the
accident and the remains, and con-
cluded to hold an inquest this after
noon. The body was turned over to
John Klein & Co.'S. undertaking es-
tablishment.
Mrs. Ashley was seen by a FREE
PRESS reporter at her home on Wheel
er street, in North Mankato, that
morning. The family reside in sub
stantial brick house. They moved to
Mankato last April from Waseca,
where they had resided for over five
years. Mr.. Ashley's full name was
Napoleon Bonaparte Ashley, and he
was thirty-eight years of age, and had
been twice married. He is the second
husband that Mrs. Ashley has buried,
and she and her two step children,
EMS and Eva, are broken hearted
over the sudden rendering of the ties
of affection which bound them to
their husband and father and made
their home an earthly heaven. Mr..
and Mrs. Ashley were married six
years ago, and the deceased was a
kind and affectionate husband and
possessed of exemplary habits. He
leaves several brothers and sisters. Mr..
Ashley had been in the employ of
railroads for twenty-five years, and
had worked for the Chicago & North
western road for six years, the greater
part of the time at Waseca. His
duties in this city were connected
with the switching crew, but fire.