The Mankato free press., 1899-12-08
AFATAL ACCIDENT.
John Freeman Killed on the
Omaha Track.
He Was Deaf, and the Engine DemOlish
ed His Buggy and Killed
His Horse.

nesday evening at point where the st.
Peter road crosses the Omaha and
Northwestern railroad tracks, short
distance north Of Tourtellotte hospital.
John Freeman, an employe of Widell &
Co.'S quarry, lost his life, the horse that
he was driving was killed and the buggy
demolished.
Freeman was driving northward on
the road at about eight o'clock, toward
John N. Johnson's boarding house at
the McMullen quarry, where he was
living. He was driving horse owned
by Arthur Chapman, a young farmer
living north of the city. Freeman was
deaf, and the night was dark, and it is
supposed that he did not notice that an
engine and caboose were approaching
from the direction of the city, also
going northward. The crossing of the
tracks is in the valley made by Thomp.
sons creek, and the track is exposed &c
view.for some distance on both Sides.
Just as Freeman drove across the
track, the horse was struck by the en-.
CINE and hurled onto the Chicago &
Northwestern track and killed. The
buggy was smashed up and Freeman
was thrown upon the Stats used as a
cattle guard on the G. & N. W. track
beside the road. He was picked uI
dead by the engineer and fireman, and
was taken back to the city on the en-
CINE and subsequently taken to John
Klein & Co.'S undertaking rooms. II
was found that the back part of his
skull was crushed in, causing instant
death. Otherwise he was not seriously
injured.
The engine was a special on its way
to st. Paul, and the engineer did not
see Freeman's rig until he was upon il
and it was too late to check the head
way of the engine. The fault seems tc
have been entirely on the part of Free
man.
The deceased was about forty years
Of age and was single man. He had
worked in this vicinity for severa
years, the past two for Widell & Co.
A brother, Peter Freeman, lives sixteen
miles from'St. James and came to the
city yesterday noon to look after the
remains, John Freeman was well
liked by all who knew him, and his
death causes much regret.
Coroner Kennedy decided that an in
quest was necessary, and summoned
the following jury: Geo. Wieder
mann, F. G. Hotaling G. L. Kennedy
James Shoemaker. l.. N. Holmes and
F. Eichhorn.
The witnesses examined we're En-
gineer Robert Mcdonald. Of ST. Paul
Conductor Peter J. thinner of St
Paul; Brakeman Louis Heleniak. o1
Henderson; Fireman Apolph johnson
Of st. Paul; Brakeman Albert Fry, o1
st. Paul: Nels G. Miller, quarrymar
who lives in Columbia Park addition
and John Bothke, who lives two blocks
from where the accident occurred
1t developed at the inquest that none
of the train crew saw Freeman until ht
was five feet from the engine, when the
engineer saw his horse running. The
whistle had been blown block bach
of the crossing, and the fireman was
ringing the bell as the engine came tt
the street. The engine was going al
not to exceed twelve miles an hour
Messrs. Mcdonald and Helenick smellei
liquorgabout Freeman when they went
TO pick him up. There was an incan-
descent electric light at or near the
crossing.
Miller was half block from tht
crossing at the time of the accident
He saw Freeman driving his horse at 6
fast trot toward the track. He thought
that he heard two boys shout to him tc
look out. Miller could see the head
light of the engine.
Bothke was standing a block and 6
half from the crossing and saw Free
man drive at trot toward the track
When he was block from the track
Bothke shouted to him, but he couldn't
hear. Witness thought that Freeman
could have seen the train if he had beer
paying attention.
The jury drought in the following
verdict: ''That death resulted from
injuries received by being struck by
the running board of the cab of the en-
gine; that he carelessly drove horse
up to the track in such manner that
the horse coIlided with the engine of Q
moving train; and that death resulted
from his own negligence; and the jury
found no carelessness on the part of the
employees of the Omaha road.
The funeral occurred at nine O'Clock
Saturday morning from John Klein &
Co.'S undertaking rooms. The inter
nent took place in the new Swed
ish cemetery,