The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1903-08-14
Fatal Accident Near Good Thunder
This Afternoon.
Young Man, Supposed to Be A. Otto,
Almost Instantly Killed.
He Was Sleeping Between the Rails on
the Milwaukee Track.
Was One of Party of Laborers Brought
Today From Chicago.
From Fridays Daily.

From Fridays Daily.
\ young man whose name is supposed
to be A. Otto. and who arrived from Chi
cago today. was killed on the Milwaukee
railroad track a mile and a quarter north
of Good Thunder at about two O'Clock
this afternoon. He was one OF party
or sixty or seventy men who were
brought from Chicago by the train ar
irving at ll:40 a. M, to work on the
Pennington branch north of the city,
but he stepped off of the train at Good
Thunder and was left there.
The young man evidently started 20
walk to AIankato, and laid down to sleep
on the track. When mixed train No. 1913
came along at two o'clock Engineer G.
Taylor saw Il man lying between the
rails, with his head toward the engine.
The engine was then not over a hundred
feet from the man, and the engineer
had just time to blow the whistle and
reverse the engine. The man did not
move, but the train caught him and
ground his body up.
When the train stopped, four cars
had passed over the Frustrated form,
which was then lying in heap between
the passenger coach and the combina-
ton car. The body was lifted out and
placed in the baggage compartment and
brought to this city, arriving here at
2:35 p. IN. The unfortunate man lived
for five minutes, but did not regain con-
sciousness.
Coroner Kennedy being at Lake Wash
ingtOn, Deputy Coroner j. H. Moore was
summoned and viewed the remains as
they lay in the car. 1t was sorry sight
that met his gaze and that of the other
spectators. The clothing had been near
ly torn from the body and ugly wounds
were visible. The worst injury was done
at the right hip, where the body was
terribly crushed. y piece of flesh was
cut from the hip, about foot in diane
ter and weighing several pounds This
was lying beside the body One or both
legs were broken. The head was unin-
jured
The only way that the body could be
Unidentified was from the contents of the
mans pockets. The most important pa
per found was pass given to A. Otto by
the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific road
to go from Utica to Chicago and return.
This expires Aug. 30th of the present
year. The occupation of the person nam
ed in the pass is given as contractor.
The pass from Chicago to Mankato is
number S4,l04 Each of the laborers was
given number and was known by lie
number and not by the name. A record
of the names is kept in Chicago.
G. Z. Smith, representing a Chicago
employment agency, came to the city
with the laborers and had charge of the
party. He states that he had a talk
with the deceased at Wells, and that
straw or under boss on the Chicago,
Rock Island & Pacific road lately, and
he made several inquiries in regard to
Mankato and the work ON the Milwaukee
road that he expects to do.
Conductor John Rickard, who had
charge of the train, states that he was
unable to detect any smell of liquor ON
the wounded mans breath when he as
sisted in picking him up. Still he might
have taken a few drinks at Good Thun-
der.
The accident happened opposite a
house that was close to the track. A
little boy who lived there saw the man
lying on the track and the train coming,
and he ran to tell his mother. ne lat
ter ran toward the track to try to save
the man, but the train struck him be-
before she had gotten over half way. The
name of the family was not learned
A white linen handkerchief which was
In one of the pockets of the coat bore the
initial r. worked in the goods, and on
another corner was the laundry mark
"R. II. s." There were two advertising
tickets calling for laborers to apply at
certain employment agencies, and
ticket to the annual picnic of local PA,
a. 5. M. w |. A., at Thornton park
July Goth.
The body was dragged thirty feet by
the trucks before the train stopped Eigh-
ty cents in money that was found in one
pocket was badly crushed
The deceased was about twenty three