The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1905-09-07
LAID IN THE GRAVE
Remains of Edward w. Freer Brought
Home from City of Mexico on
Thursday for Burial.
Particulars of the Disaster Which Oc-
casioned This Young Mans
Lam entable Death.

The remains of Edward w. Freer,
who was accidentally killed at Ne
caxa, state of Puebla, Mexico, while
employed by a construction company,
arrived here on Thursday last, August
81, in charge of Senior Arturo Leyen-
decker of the City of Mexico. Senior
Leyendecker experienced considerable
difficulty at Ell Paso, Kansas City and
Omaha in the transportation of the
body in consequence of ofici BUSINESS
and considerable delay was occas-
Toned thereby. At Ell Paso, for in
stance, which was the first city reached
after crossing the Mexican border, the
senior was compelled by the American
authorities to transfer the remains to
a new casket in order to be allowed
to proceed. Upon arrival at Prince
ton on the 1855 a. m. train Under
taker Ross took possession of the re-
mains and conveyed them to the home
of the desceased's parents, where
private services were held by the Rev.
A. w. Kuehl of Minneapolis. At 2:3O
p. m. the casket was removed to the
Methodist church and the rites for the
dead conducted by Rev. Rupert Swim
merton, who delivered very touch
ing funeral Grafton. The body was
laid to rest in Oak Knoll cemetery, the
following members of the militia act
ing as pallbearers: Sergeants Sell
horn and Marshall, Privates Dunton,
Whitcomb, Orion and Mahoney. Mu-
stefan Whitney sounded taps at the
grave.
The floral offerings of the Prince
ton high school alumni and others
were beautiful in their rich profusion.
Among the immediate relatives of
the deceased who attended the funeral
were Geo. W. Freer, Opstead; Rich
ard Freer, Monticello; Chas. Freer
and wife, South Shore; Eugeue Lease
and wife, Foley; Samuel Dean and
wife, Excelsior; Mrs. Chas. Caswell,
, Jordan, and, Mr.. Orion, Hammond,
Ind. ... -.......
Edward w. Freer was the son of
Mr.. and Mrs. r. w. Freer of Prince
ton and was twenty-four years of age
at the time of his lamentable death.
He was born in the township of
Princeton and educated in this vii
lage, graduating from the high school.
He followed the calling of school
teacher at several places in Mile
Laos county previous to his going to
Mexico. Mr.. Freer was a young man
of sterling qualities and was greatly
beloved by his acquaintance. He
possessed exceptional intellectually
and his kindly nature embodied all
that is good. The cutting down of
this model young man at the outset of
so promising a career has brought
sorrow not alone to his parents and
immediate relatives but to the scores
of acquaintance by whom he was be-
loved.
The circumstances surrounding the
disaster which brought about Mr..
Freer's death were described to US by
Senior Arturo Leyendecker as follows
Mr.. F'reer, another American and
five Mexicans were at work in deep
ravine constructing an aqueduct.
Upon one side was a mountain-or
natural. dam-500 feet high and al
most perpendicular from the top of
which workmen were lowering by
means of a cable fve-inch iron pipes
thirty-fve feet in length for use in the
construction of the aqueduct referred
to. It appears that as one of these
pipes was being let down into the ra-
vine, and when about hundred feet
above the heads of the workmen, the
cable snapped and the pipe, striking
a protruding rock or ledge, was
smashed into exactly seven pieces.
Singular as it may seem, each of the
seven pieces of pipe in it's descent cut
down a man. Mr.. Freer, who was at
the time STOPPING to pick up screw
used in connecting the pipes, was
struck on the left side of his neck and
his body badly lacerated from that
point downward, causing, as was
stated by the Mexican surgeon who
examined the remains, instantaneous
death. The other American, whose
home was in Knoxville, Missouri, was
mortally wounded, three Mexicans
were killed and two severely injured.
Not a man escaped unhurt. When
struck by the piece of pipe the body
of Mr.. Freer was precipitated into
river which flowed through the ravine
or canyon near where he was at work
and was carried by the current into
tunnel, where his body was discovered
by Senior Leyendecker, who, with a
party of horsemen, arrived upon the
scene from the city of Mexico, sixty
miles distance, in response to tele-
graphic or telephone message.