The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1905-04-07


overturning of his engine; cause un-
known to us. In our judgment, how
ever, the accident was caused by the en-
CINE passing over stone on the track"
The above is the verdict reached by
the Jury that sat on the case of the
death of Engineer Morgan, whose
tragic demise was narrated in last
nights Free Press. The inquest was held
this morning in Lamm & Landowners
undertaking parlor. The jury consist
ed of Frank j. Busch, B. Bangerter, ST.,
John Stevens, E. A. Engwalson, j. W.
Fowler and Richard Hammett.
The questions propounded by Coun-
ty Attorney Wilson brought forth
infinitely detailed account of the catas-
trophe. None of the testimony tended
to place any blame necessarily on the
railroad company All who testified as
to the condition of the rails and the
roadbed gave the anwser that there was
nothing in the state that these
were in, that would cause the accident,
as far as they could see. This is a very
interesting fact, as many who have seen
the track have expressed the opinion
that the accident would not nave hap
pened had not the outer rail on the
curve been badly worn.
The witnesses examined were Conduc-
tor F. ]. Dan; Fireman Joseph Melon
aid; John E. Hyde, the local Omaha
switch engineer; Brakeman A. Peterson,
/. H. Cotant and F. NJ. Brink, and Emil
jacobson, an employee in the office of
Mayer Brothers.
Z. E. Stoner of st. Paul, nephew of
the dead engineer, and Charles Mitchell,
also of st. Paul, brother in-law of the
deceased, both arrived on the late train
last evening to take charge of the re-
mains. They were not certain whether the
family would decide to bury Mr.. Nor
gan in st. Paul or in Milwaukee, where
he once resided.
Mrs. Morgan is the second wife of
Engineer Morgan and was married to
him about a year ago. His two married
daughters are Mrs. Lottie Peterson, liv-
ing in St. Paul, and Mrs. Jennie Hens
gen, living at Superior, Wis.
On the body of the dead engineer was
found watch Charm, showing him to
be Master Mason.
The funeral will be held tomorrow in
St Paul.
Little time was lost in getting the
Omaha and Northwestern roadways
cleared at the scene of the wreck at the
Rock street crossing, and relaying the
two tracks. At about half past one
o'clock yesterday afternoon the wreck
ing crew of six men under Foreman A.
Berg, together with about thirty Sec
ton workers arrived with the wreck
ing train of five cars. There were the
wrecking car, two coaches, one truck car
and one box car. good supply of steel
rails and ties were brought for the new
tracks.
The badly damaged Northern Pacific
car, No. 33OS9, was relieved of its cargo
of wheat, which was loaded upon two
other cars and reconsigned to it's des-
tination. The car itself was removed
from the track and will be taken to the
shops at Hudson, Wis, for repairs. the
wrecked engine was lifted off the North
western roadway.
When this roadway was clear, large
force of men restored the track. The
men worked into the night in order to
complete the switch, that the sidetrack
might be ready for use by the wrecking
crew this morning. The men received
time and half for night overtime
work
The engine itself and the tender will
be repaired in the shops at st. Paul.
They will come forth bright and clean
and new and there will be upon them no
trace of their interesting history.
The other car that was damaged, a
Great Northern, was not so badly
smashed as the first and can be fix
ed up at the Mankato shops.
As might have been expected great
crowd gathered about the place where
the wreck occurred, ard quite a throng
of people remained even after dark,
catching what glimpses they could of
what was going on by the light of the
lanterns. A police officer stood ready to
nip any trouble in the bud. Northwest
ern and Omaha trains passed both ways
on the renewed Northwestern track, but
very slowly and with great caution. 1t
was necessary occasionally to call down
the more curious, who persisted in