The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-05-17
BRAKEMAN KILLED
j. c. SneIler of Winona Run
Over Tuesday Morning.
A Chicago & Northwestern Freight Train
Breaks in Two and One Section
Crashes Into the Other.

A fatal accident occurred on the
Chicago & Northwestern track at the
old Omaha crossing about two miles
north of the city at :15 clock Monday
morning, resulting in the instant
death of J. c. Sneller of Winona, a
brakeman, and the painful but not
serious bruising of another brakeman,
Geo. Page.
Freight train No. Is was coming
toward the city from the east, consist
ing of an engine and twelve cars
When few miles out. the rear four
cars broke away from the rest of the
train, the coupling pulling out. When
the main part of the train slackened
speed as it approached the crossing,
the rear section overlook and crashed
into it,
Brakemen Sneller and Page were
sitting on top of the train, and the
shock threw them to the ground. Mr..
Page escaped with slight injuries, but
Mr. Sneller fell between two cars to
the track below, his head striking the
west rail with his body between the
rails. The wheels passed over his
head. crushing it nearly in two, and
death must have been instantaneous.
The train was stopped at once. and
Sneller's remains were found on the
track.
One or two trainmen were lett to
watch beside the remains, while the
engine was detached and fastened to
the city Coroner Kennedy was awak-
ened at shortly before four o'clock and
in company with Officer Klughertz
rode out to the crossing on the en-
CINE. He had the remains placed on
c. & n. w. stretcher that had been Sc
cured at the depot, and lifted into the
caboose, the train was chained to-
gether where the coupling had pulled
out, and the engineer pulled in to the
depot Mr.. Kennedy and John Land
hammer carried the remains on the
stretcher to Lamm & Landkammer's
undertaking rooms on Main street.
Sneller's right arm was broken be-
tween the shoulder and elbow, and his
head presented an awful sight.
The train crew was comp osed of
Engineer John Keegen, Fireman A.
Rhode, Conductor NJ Mulcahy, and
Brakemen Sneller and Page. Mr.. Null
cahy is sure that the train was whole
when it passed L. G. NJ. Fletcher S
farm.
The deceased was man of medium
size, twentv-four years of age, and
single. His parents reside near Wi
mona, and he leaves a sister, Mrs.
Timothy Murray, in Winona. He
had worked for the Chicago & North
Western road as brakeman for four
years, and was known as careful
sober and Industrious young man. He
had been or. the Plainview branch for
long time, and came only month
ago to the run where he met his death.
The parents and brotherin law
were this morning notified by wire of
the sad accident, and Mr.. Murray took
the first train for Mankato, arriving at
one O. clock this afternoon. He was
greatly affected by the death of his
brother-in-law, and desired that there
be no inquest He is himself brake
man, and understands railroading
thoroughly, and was convinced that
the accident was not due to any fault
of the train crew.
Coroner Kennedy came to the same
conclusion and decided that it was
unnecessary to put the county to the
expense of holding an inquest, as the
facts are very plain. He is of the
opinion that the train crew were not
to blame for the condition of the
coupling, and that if there was fault
anywhere the rights of the relatives in
a civil case would not be prejudiced
by the fact that no inquest was held.
Mr.. Murray exhibited to the coroner
several certificates of deposit on q
Winona bank, where Mr. Sneller had
deposited his surplus earnings, leav-
ing the certificates with his brother
in-law for safe keeping. On the re.
mains were found gold watch and
chain and 50. 10 in money.
The railroad and other acquaintance
of the deceased speak of him in high
terms. and are greatly shocked at his
sudden taking off.
Mr.. Murray took the remains
to Winona Wednesday morning, for
burial.