The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1899-10-27
C0r0ner's Inquest.


Kennedy held an inquest in the old
council room in the city hall with the
following jury: w. W. Paddock, Geo.
Atchison, Clark Keysor. A. H Beebe,
Ed Schumacher and Gus Monson.
The first witness was Matthias j..
Trampert, of 9O7 North Fifth street. an
engineer at Gus Widell's quarry. His
engine room is about 40 feet from the
track, where the accident occurred.
He said that the deceased and Miss
Landmark were on the track and were
struck by a train coming from the
junction on the G. & N. W. road.
There were one or two cars ahead of
the engine. The train that struck him
was coming from the north. The &C.
cident occurred at about 4:30 or very
soon thereafter Saturday afternoon.
When he first noticed the couple the
train was block away from them
The deceased. had he looked, could
have seen the train about two blocks
farther away. The curve in the track
from where the deceased stood was in
form of circle, bending toward the
east. A freight was going north on
the Omaha track at the same time, and
had not fully passed when the deceased
was struck. The noise prevented their
hearing the signals given. The witness
called to deceased, to get out of the
way and about the same time Mr..
Erickson, brakeman on the North
western train, saw them and shouted
to them and signalled his train to stop.
The whistle was sounded. Could hear
it distinctly above the noise of the
trains. From where he stood he did
not see the deceased struck, as the cars
had passed by him, but he stopped
down and looked under the cars. Did
not think they were hit. The accident
occurred right in front of the stone
quarry. There are persons passing
continually back and forth on the
track. The trains generally sound a.
whistle when rounding the curve.
Miss Sophia Landmark was next
sworn and said she was with Mr..
Franklin, the deceased and Miss
Osmondson. They had visited the stone
quarries and were returning home.
They came down the hill by narrow
path to the railroad track, then walked
first down the Omaha track. In get
ting to this they crossed the North
western track. They left the Omaha
track for the northwestern track be-
cause of freight train on the Omaha
coming from the city, They had gone
on the track about three blocks when
the accident occurred. She was walk
ing on the ties on the outside of track
and the deceased was walking in the
center between the rails. Heard no
but heard the noise of the pass
ng train. Did not see nor hear the
train that struck the deceased. Did not
think deceased heard or saw the train,
1t least he did not say anything. Did
not remember anything about being
struck, as was rendered unconscious.
Believes there were two cars ahead of
engine. Did not think she could have
heard the whistle had it blown on &C.
count of the noise of the other train.
Miss Lola Osmondson, who was one
If the party, was the next witness. She
said that she was about block ahead
IF the deceased when he was struck.
Did not see the train before it struck
him. Heard whistle. but thought it
was from the Omaha train. With Mr..
franklin, the witness was between the
liver and the Omaha train. Did not
see the accident occur.
John Anderson, workman in the
Widell stone quarries, was the next
witness. He testified to seeing the two