The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-09
TWO FAMILIES MOURN.
LITTLE AGNES GILBERT DIES AS
THE RESULT OF A NEIGHB0R
BOYS BLOW
CARL soDERBERG, AGED SEVEN

OA1eA 0OOI<A03hO, A0Gu 0LvEAN
lis Accused or striking~a Nine-Year-
r Old Girl Fatal Blow at the
- Base of the Brain--She fingered
Over Day. but the Concussion,
of the Brain Proved Fatal to the
Young Girl. l.
Little Carl Soderberg, the 7-year-old
son Of Charles Soderberg, carpenter,
living att 705 Maryland. avenue, Is ac-
eused of causing the death Of Agnes. Gil
bert, years old, who died at the home
of her parents, 697sssMaryland avenue,
Tuesday evening. The girl died from a
concussion and Inflammation Of the brain
which, 1t is. alleged, was caused by
blow she received the hands of the
Soderberg boy last Monday afternoon.
The parents of the, dead girl are grief
stricken over the loss of their daughter,
while Mrs. Soderberg is hardly less sor-
rowful en3account of the accusation made
against her son. The Soderberg boy is
sHghtly-built, almost delicate looking
youngster, who does not appear possessed
injured his playmate, but he frankly
admits having struck Agnes Gilbert,
scarcely realizing the grave results he
is accused of bringing about
The childish quarrel during which the
Gilbert girl was struck, occurred shortly
after O'Clock Monday afternoon. Half
dozen children among them Agnes Gill
BERT were playing in "a lot of loose sand,
close beside the Gilbert home, on Green
brier- avenue. The piaymates had di-
vided the sand batch into park" with
paths running in all directions, and had
erected a miniature pavilion of branches,
when 1T is alleged that the Sederberg boy
came across the street and devastated
the park, !" kicking the pavilion to pieces.
Mrs. Gilbert says she was sewing in a
room, close to- a side window overlooking
the chfldrens play ground, and saw and
heard all that transpired. According
to her, the alleged attack upon her daugh-
ter was unprovOked and vicious. She says
she saw the Soderberg boy strike her
daughter in the back of the neck with
his fist. Following is her version of the
affair
II had been watching the children for
some time before the Soderberg boy
made his appearance. They were playing
quietly at making park, and had about
finished their work. I saw young Sober
berg come across the street. He watched
the other children moment and then
commenced obliterating the paths they
had marked OUT When the children re-
monstrated with him he deliberately kick
ed over the imitation pavilion. Then
my daughter walked up to him and told
him If he did not go away she would
call her mother. She turned partly
around, as though to walk away, when
the Soderberg boy deliberately struck her
a hard blow on the back of the neck and
ran away"
After the Sederberg boy fed the chill
dren went on playing again, and it was
not until bed time that the Gilbert girl
complained of pains in her head. Even
then it was not believed that she was
in dangerous condition, nor was 1t be-
lieved that she was suffering from the
effects of the blow alleged to have been
struck by young Sederberg. Tuesday
morning, however, the child was worse
and could not get out of. bed. Toward
the middle of the day she lapsed into I'M
consciousness and shortly before II o'clck
that night she died. 1
When the child s condition was consid-
cred alarming Tuesday morning, Dr. Girls
weld Mas eaIledDeThe pare Ists did not at
I this time tell the physician of the child;
/ having been struck and DR.. Griswold
hesitated sc mewhat about diagnosing the
case. Later when he learned that the
girl had received a. bloWeat the base Of
the brain, DR.. Griswold determined that
her condition was due to the blow. He
says an examination showed him that
the nerves about the base of the GIRL
brain were bruised. Last evening Dr.
Grtswold stated that the girls death was
due to Inflammation or concussion of the
brain, caused by blow on the back of
the neck.
Ole Gilbert, the dead girls father,
speaks bitterly of the Soderberg boys al
legged conduct In striking his daughter
and asserts positively that the seven
year-old lad caused his child's death.
Mrs. Gilbert says she has frequently been
compelled to drive the Soderberg boy
away from the vicinity of her home, be-
cause of his imposition upon her children.
1t is not likely, however, that any crjmi-
nal charge wiH be made against the boy
on account Of his tender years and the
undfsputed fact that he probably had 10
intention. of seriously hurting the girl.
Mrs. Soderberg, the mother of the ac-
cused boy, says she knows nothing of
the trouble between theschildren except
what her son fold her. She says her lit
tie boy cameu running home Monday
afternoon crying, and said he had hurt
one of the Gilbert girls. The mother says
she classified her son, but thought moth
Ing more of the matter until she learned
that the parents. of the Gilbert girl ac-
| cused her boy of causing the girls death.
Mrs. Soderberg says her boy is quietly
disposed and has no more youthful quar-
refs than the average child. She says
she can hardly believe that If her boy
struck the Gilbert girl, he could have hit
hard enough to fnjure her.
Carl Soderberg~ is rather a small boy
for his age, with shock of blonde hair
and big blue eyes. that give him anything
but vicious appearance He wept free
ly while talking to a reporter for the
G o e yesterday about the Gilbert girls
death, but admitted that he had struck
her
II hit her once there with a stone" he
said, between his sobs, pointing to his
side, ''and then hit her with my hand
on the back
The Gilbert girl was the Oldest of four
children. She was a pupil at the CIeve-
land school and we'll liked by her school
mates. The funeral took place yesterday
afternoon from st. Patricks church, Rev.
Father 3 Dolphin, officiating. The pail
bearers were eight of her girl school
mates, Fanny Gruetzke, Emma Gruetzke
Emily Peterson, Rose Gilbert, Loretta
Fallen, Mary Huff, Selma Peterson and
Margaret De Parq. The interment was at
Calvary cemetery.