The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-18
j GEORGE GIBBoN, OF LANGDON,
MIMI, TERRIBLY MANGLED
BY A TRAIN
He SEEMS TO HAVE BEEN
STEALING RIDE ON FREIGHT
Intended TO Go to ST. Paul Park on Mo-
tor, But Missed. Train and Climbed
on Brake Beam-His Body Scattered
for Mile on Track.

George Gibbon, residing at Langdon,
Mimi, was run over and instantly
killed by a Milwaukee freight train one
and one-half miles northeast of New
port early yesterday morning. The
mangled remains were picked up scat-s
tered along the track for over mile.
They were placed in a bushel basket
and brought to the morgue.
How GibbOn came to his death can
not be determined, but the indications
are that he was beating his way on
The rods" or brake beam of the freight
and fell off. The first discovery of the
remnants of the body was by a party
of men walking towards st. Paul Park.
Blood was noticed on the rail by one
Of the party and in a short space of
time bits OF human form were seen.
Gibbons body was literally ground to
pieces. The lower portion of his body,
including the limbs had to be picked
up here and there, crushed entirely be-
yond recognition. The trunk was in
tact, but his face was a pulp and
shapeless mass.
When the body was brought to the
mOrgue there was nothing in the cloth
ing that would lead to any Identified
ton. It was in shredS, and so covered
with blood, flesh and bones that it's
original color was blotted out.
Identified Last Night.
Shortly before midnight last night
Joe Fritz, manager of an elevator at
Langdon, and E. j. PrOulow, an en-
plOye at the elevator, came to st. Paul
and identified the clothing as that
worn by GibbOn. Edward Ostreich,
another employe at the elevator, who
was the last mon with Gibbon
told his story of the affair to the po-
lice,
Ostreich and Gibbon came to st.
Paul from Langdon Saturday morn
ing and spent the day in the city,
drinking in different saloons. Both
were considerably under the influence
OF liquor at II o'clock, when they
started for the union depot, intending
to take a train for st. Paul Park, which
is the nearest station to Langdon.
In the crowd at the depot Ostreich
says that he became separated from
Gibbon, and after searching for him
for some time boarded the Great West
ern for St. Paul Park at 11:20. Os-
freich arrived in St. Paul Park and re-
tired for the night, expecting that Glib
bon, having missed the train, would ar
rive early in the morning in time to go
to work
Missed His Train.
Up to the present time this is the
last trace that can be found of Glib
bon alive The. supposition is, having
missed the train, he decided to beat
his way to St. Paul Park and swung
under freight train which leaves ST.
Paul shortly after o'clock in the
morning. Whether he attempted to
climb on the rods at the spot where
his remains were discovered and was
thrown under the wheels, or whether
he boarded the freight in the city and
fell under the wheels, cannot be deter
mined. One fact is almost certain, and
that is that he was not struck by the
engine, as he would have been knock
ed off the track to considerable dis
lance if he was standing up at the
time. If he was lying on the track in
a drunken stupOr, that engineer in the
cab would have felt the force of the
shock which the engine would re-
ceive
The condition of the body would in
dictate to q certain extent that Gibbon
had walked along the Milwaukee
tracks, intending to make his way to
St. Paul Park on foot, when overtaken
by the freight train, and that he had
not climbed under the train in the Mil
waullee yards. The fact that both legs
were ground to q PUPPY mass would tend
to the theory that Gibbon had chung to
conscious, and that he only let go when
life was nearly extinct. The right arm
was torn off at the shoulder, but the
left arm remained, although mangled
between the elbow and the hand.
Back of Head Crushed.
The torso and chest were practically
Uninjured, but the back of the head
was ground off and the palate forced
out of his mouth, so that it was picked
up separately.
This condition Of the body can be
explained on the theory that Gihbon at
tempted to climb on the rods in the
''hobo'' fashion, but landed partially or
the tracks AID was dragged along until
his feet came under the wheels, which
mangled him, bit by bit, until he drop
ped. On the other hand, had he gone
to sleep while riding it is more than
likely that if he fell his body would have
been cut in two in some portion and that
he would have suffered no further mu-
tiIation.
Born In Canada.
Gibbon was twenty three years of age
and before his arrival in Langdon, foul
and OAe-haf months ago, lived in Pick.
eFing Ont. where his brother, c. A
GiobOn, still resides. He had $40 il
wages coming from the elevator com.
pany for which he worked.
MOrgue Keeper Richardson yesterda!
said that the body was mangled WORSE
than any he has seen in all his years
Of handling the remains from violen
deaths. Coroner Miller telegraphed tn
brother of the dead man last night, ask
ing for instructions in regard to tn
interment of the remains.