The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-05-20
Stranger Killed on Northwestern Track
Mile West Of city's Limits.
Struck BY a Locomotive and His
Body Horribly Mangled.
Man Supposed TO Be John 6affney,
Formerly Of Iowa.
Coroner Kennedy Orders an'Inquestto
Be Held Tomorrow.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
Dakota Passenger train No. SOB, OF
the Chicago & Northwestern, in the
charge of Conductor j. c. Zickrick, was
speeding westward from the city, be-
tween twelve and one o'clock yesterday
afternoon, and was about a mile west
of the city limits, when Engineer W. E.
Scott noticed man on the track, at
some distance ahead The engineer whis-
tied repeatedly, but the man appeared to
pay no attention. The engineer supposed
the endangered man was one of those
who have way of stepping off the track
just in time to avoid being struck by
the locomotive. When it became appar-
ent that the man did not realize his dan
ger the air brakes were thrown on and
all possible means used to stop the train.
But it was too late. Whether the man
was deaf or supposed the train was COM
ing on the Omaha track, is hard to de-
termine. At any rate he allowed the en-
CINE to strike him. The form was fright
fully mangled The train was stopped
and the body was picked up and taken
aboard The skull was crushed so badly
that the features were altered, as could
plainly be seen, when the bones were
held for moment in their natural posi-
-tions. The abdomen was crushed. The
left leg was cut off below the knee by
the wheels of the engine. Both bones of
the right leg were broken above the
ankle. The hip bones were crused. The
right arm was broken below the elbow
and the left elbow was badly cut.
The man was grayhaired and appear
ed to be about fifty years old. His
clothing had the appearance of that OF
laboring man. He was five feet ten
inches tail, and weighed about 100
pounds. His short gray hair was cut
pompadour He was clean shaven and
had no mustaehe or beard. He had brown
eyes and heavy dark eyebrows. He
wore an ordinary working shirt and a
checked dark blue suit, and black der
by hat.
The body was taken back on the
train to the Mankato depot. Coroner
Kennedy was called and the remains
were removed to Klein's undertaking
room.
The man was evidently a stranger.
Nobody knew him. Officer Joe Robb,
however, recognized the man as one
whom he had seen on South Front street
about nine o'clock on the evening be-
FORE Officer Robb always makes point
of taking particular notice of all strang-
ers.
The pockets of the man were search
ed. There was no liquor about him
and nothing indicated that liquor had
anything to do with the accident. In his
pockets were found 40 cents, some
chewing tobacco, handkerchief and a
number of papers, the letter of course
exciting the greatest curiosity. There
was a check book full of nothing but
stubs, nearly all of which showed that
the checks had been of quite recent date.
One of the checks was in favor of the
Bank of Granville, Iowa. There was an
envelope addressed to j. O. Gaffney
Peterson, Iowa. Various cards and pa
pers indicated that he had been travel
ing more or less about Iowa. A letter
which he had evidently written and was
intending to mail, was addressed to Mrs
Kate Ingersoll, Primgahr, Iowa. The
salutation was "Sis' and the signature
was "John." The subject matter of the
letter was a farm, which he said Mrs
Ingersoll would have to operate OF
rent out; a wagon; grain; and other
farm produce.
This letter seemed to be the best clue
to the mans identity. The corone,
caused telegram to be sent to Mrs
Kate Ingersoll stating that letter ad.
dressed to her had been found on the
person of man who was killed here in
a railroad accident. Mrs. Ingersol re.
piled: "Send description of man kill
ed. We think named John Gaffney."
description was telegraphed to the WON
an as requested.
1t now appeared pretty clear that the
man was John Gaffney and that Mrs
Ingersoll was his sister.
Coroner Kennedy decided to hold an
inquest tomorrow afternoon at l:3(
o'clock. The jurors selected are: H. HI
Tompkins, T. C. Peart, Frank j. Busch
P. B. Sparrow, E. P. Rutan and Fred
Clark
At the place where the man was kill.
ed the Omaha track is considerably high.
er than the North Western. Here it is
that the two tracks begin to diverge
from each other. Both the Omaha and
Northwestern passenger trains going
west at this time leave the union depot
at 1915 o'clock and often keep fairly