The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-10-15
THE INTERNAL INJURY PROVED
FATAL THIS MORNING.
Story of the Accident Is Related by
R. H. Bibby, Who Was On the
Motor Car With the Omaha Com
pany's Superintendent of Bridges
and Buildings; Rolled Down Bank;
Pinned Under Wreck.

nal injuries in the region of the alb
domen. which caused such an internal
hemorrhage that he practically bled to
drath. He was in such condition of
shock that it would have been fatal
to have performed an operation TO
try 10 stop the hemorrhage, in the
opinion of the surgeons who attended
him.
The surgeons found that Mr.. Welch's
left arm had sustained a compound
fracture above the elbow and one frac-
ture below the elbow. They also found
that the left leg was broken above
the knee, and that a number of cuts
and bruises were sustained upon the
body, but none of these INJURIES We're
sufficient to have caused death, which
was solely the result of the internal
injury. The fractures were reduced
yesterday afternoon; but a physician
was with Mr.. Welch nearly all the
time until he died, any everything
possible was done for the injured man.
As the telephone failed to work. Mrs.
WEIGH could not be gotten until after
her husband had passed away.
Mr.. Bibby Talks of Accident.
r. H. Bibby, who has charge of the
was riding with Mr.. Welch and gives
this description of the accident to The
Free Press: 1--WE started for Cray sid
ing soon after No. 3 pulled out. This
train was late and we thought that the
track was clear. At MinneOpa Mr..
Wech. as was his custom, held up his
hand while passing the operator, and
received signal that the track was
clear, as we thought. We slowed down
at all curves, and were not going very
fast when we entered the curve where
the accident occurred. a mile north of
Cray. Suddenly we saw that freight
engine was upon us | could hear the
emergency brake grinding as the engi-
neer applied it promptly, and l know
that he did all that he could to stop,
but the distance was not great enough.
Il applied the brake of the track
motorcycle as hard as l could, but it
did not seem to stop the car much. Mr..
WEIGH sat where it was hardest for
him to get out, so | waited for him
10 lump. and tried all the time to stop
the ear. He, jumped, and when the.
car had gone another hundred feet and
the engine seemed almost on top of me
| Jumped. As | rolled down the en-
bankment / saw Welch rolling down a
hundred feet back. If he had rolled
over once more he would have been
safe The engine struck the car and
carried it back and hurled it off on
the same side that we had rolled off
on, and it fell squarely upon WEIGH.
Engine Stopped Soon as Possible.
The engine was stopped as soon as
possible and the crew assisted me in pull
ing the wrecked motor car from poor
Welch, and we picked him up as gently as
possible and placed him in the engine.
Then the engineer opened the throttle
and we sped to Mankato as fast as
possible. WEIGH was perfectly conscious
and the coolest man among US. 1t was
about quarter past two when the
accident, happened, and we got him
to the hospital as soon as possible. He
did not complain of any internal in
jury until we were taking him from
the engine and placing him in the am
bulance, and he then spoke of pain
in his stomach.
1--WE were not told that the track
was clear, but thought that it would
ln nf No nj fa1f
from the signal of the Minneopa agent
that it was"
Was Long in Omaha's Employ.
Mr.. WEIGH was forty eight years of
age and leaves a wife and three child
rem. His home was in North Mankato.
He entered the employ of the Omaha
road about thirteen vars ago as bridge
carpenter, having before that held a
similar position on the Great Northern
for some years. Five and a half years
ago he was promoted to the position
of superintendent of bridges and build
ings, succeeding Emanual johnson. He
was a faithful worker, always OH the
90, and a valuable man for the road,
and always pleasant. He was popular
with all, and his death is great shock
to all who knew him, and particularly
to his family. He was brother of j.
II. Welch, formerly dispatcher in this
city and later chief dispatcher at st.
James, and now assistant superintend-
ent of the Wisconsin division with
headquarters at Spooner, Wis. This
brother was expected today, and ar
engagements for the funeral were delay
ed until after his arrival.
The deceased was a member of the
NJ. w. A. Camp, and carried life in
surance in the order. He was member
of st. Johns Catholic church. The
family formerly resided at Crookstn,
where they were located for some years
while Mr. WEIGH was in the employ of
the Great Northern. The three child
rem are named Margaret, Magdaline
and Gladys. The family home is at
40 Cross street, North Mankato. i
Mr.. Bibby was only slightly injured
and has fully recovered.
Brother Arrives in Mankat0
Abe brother, j. R. Welch, arrived
this noon, and from him some addi-
tional information was gathered con-
corning the deceased. The latter was,