The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1904-07-15
Fatal Accident Near the Union Depot
Late Saturday Night.
Lee McMuIIen of Lansing, Michigan,
Meets His Death.
Falls Under Cars While Trying to Beard
the Blind Baggage.
He Dies Few Hours Later, After
An Operation.
From Mondays Daily.

From Mondays Daily.
A fatal accident occurred close to the
union depot Saturday night. Lee Nc
Mullen. stranger in this city, but whose
homo was in Lansing, Mich, was the vic
tim, and his death occurred few hours
Later.
McMullen and his partner, also a
stranger, were noticed hanging around
the railroad yards during the evening,
evidently awaiting an opportunity of
getting a ride. When the Chicago &
Northwestern and Omaha passenger
trains going west came in at HAS p.
IN. the two men and two others were seen
standing close to the switch west of the
depot and on the west side of the tracks
McMuilen went around to the
east side of the Chicago & North
western train to catch the blind baggage
while his companion caught it from the
west side.
The two passenger trains pulled out
they had gone, McMullen was found ly-
ing on the platform between the two
tracks grooming in agony. His left leg
was horribly mangled from above the
knee to the foot, and the heel of the
other foot was cut open. The man had
tried to get upon the blind baggage of
the Chicago & Northwestern train as it
pulled out and had missed his footing
and fallen under the wheels. His COM
panion stayed with him until after he
had been removed, first notifying the
ticket agent of the accident, but the
other two men probably boarded the
train, as they were not seen again.
Ben Page, night foreman in the Omaha
yards, was about the first person to
reach McMullen after the accident. He
was talking with a couple of ladies a
short distance away, when he heard a
groan, muffled by the noise of the trains.
He walked to where the noise came from
and found the injured man lying on the
platform little below where the side
track leaves the main track. A pool of
blood had gathered on the planks from
the wounds. Howard Welsh, one of the
night yard men, took a red Nbandana
handkerchief and bound it tightly around
the injured leg above the wound. to stop
the flow of blood, but which by that time
has almost ceased of itself, the we'll
springs of the flow having been about
drained.
Word was sent to the police and the
railroad physician, and in short time
the injured man was removed to the
office of Andrews, Holbrook & Hughes
and from there to St. Joseph's hospital
Some trouble was had in getting physi-
clans. McMullen had refused to give any
information in regard to himself, even
his name, and his companion had been
equally secretive. He said that he had
q mother who was a widow and not in
good health and if she was to hear that
he was dead it would kill her. If he re-
covered, it was needless for her to hear
anything. When pressed by the physi-
clans by the intimation that he might
not survive, he said that if he died there
were letters in his pockets that would
tell who he was and where his home
was.
Amputation was seen to be absolutely
necessary, and the injured leg was tax
en- off few inches above the knee
three physicians being present. McMul
len died at about six o'clock Sunday
morning
Several letters were found in the dead
mans pockets, written to him by hi:
mother. From these her address was
learned, and it was also learned that the
deceased has sister attending the nor
NAL school near Lansing, Mich. Deputy
Coroner G. L. Kennedy was notified
and the remains were turned over to
Lamm & Landkammer, undertakers.
McMulIen was twenty three years old
of medium size, dark complexion, brown
hair and smooth face. He was intelli
gent appearing and fairly well dressed
and while possibly not a tramp, was
probably beating his way about the
country. His companion, whose first
name it was learned was Henry, was
more on the tough order.
The railroad companies do not have
steps on the blind baggage of their new
cars. for the reason that the steps are
too handy for hoboes. 1t might be
that McMullen did not know about this
and tried to board the car the same as he
would if there were steps and fell to
the tracks.
McMullen's companion appeared to be
under the influence of liquor, and was
quite abusive to the railroad men, seem
ing to think that his friend was not
given prompt enough care. He refused to
give any information about either Of
them, but finally leaned down and spoke
with his friend in a low tone, seeming
to urge him to remove the injunction
of secrecy. It is not known whether
the injured man had been drinking. He
suffered so severely that he is said te
have begged some of the bystanders te
kill him.
Deputy Coroner Kennedy inter
viewed the train crew last night
and learned that there was nc
reason for holding an inquest
No one pushed McMullen off the car,