The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-12-23
LITTLE GIRL s MANCLED
REMAINS FOUND UNDER
BIG RAILROAD TRESTLE
From Saturdays Daily.

From Saturdays Daily.
One of the saddest accidents that
has occurred recently in this city
was that which resulted in the in
slant death late yesterday afternoon
of Violet Aline Barr, the nine year
old daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Frank
Barr, residing at $40 West Sixth
street. The little girl was in the
habit Of going from her home to that
of Russ Burrill, in LeHuillier, for
milk, each afternoon. Mr.. Burrill
lives near the west end of the rail-
way trestle. and the shortest way
to go for the milk was to take the
trestle near the park. She began
generally went around by the wagon
bridge, but sometimes by the trestle
II was no new thing for her to take
tke trestle, for she had frequently
crossed over it during the summer
in going back and forth from her
uncle's place
Was on an Errard.
Violet left her mothers home
shortly before FIVE o'clock with two
milk pals for the milk, and as she
did not return, her mother became
anxious and at about six o'clock tele-
phoned to Mr. Burrill and asked
whether The child was there. Mr..
Burrill Informed her that she had
been there and had left with the
milk about an hour before. He then
volunteered to go and see whether
he could find her, at the same time
asking her mother to search on the
city side and to meet him at the
east end of the bridge
Mr.. Burrin went about two-thirds
across the trestle leading to the iron
bridge over the Blue Earth river,
and there discovered the two pals
Of milk sitting on the end of the
cap of pier of the Northwestern
trestle. Looking down to the ground,
he saw the form of the little girl
stretched on the frozen ground fiji
teen or twenty feet below, lying face
downward, as though she had fallen
from the Northwestern trestle be-
tween the two trestles.
Saved Mother From a Shock.
Mr.. Burrill did not want Mrs. Barr
to see her child, fearing that she
might be overcome by the sudden
shock, not being very strong, so he
called to her to return home and
that he and his son would continue
the search. Mr.. Burrill then went
to his home and called to his son,
Fay, to go to the body and stay
with it until he could summon a
doctor. Fay ascertained that it was
too late for the services of doc
tor and informed his father that
the child was dead and her body
cold. Mr.. Burrill then notified Coro-
ner Kennedy, and the remains were
subsequently taken to the undertake
ing rooms of the John Klein Under
taking company. 1t was there dis
covered that the skull had been
crushed and the neck broken by the
fall on the hard ground
Coroner Kennedy decided to hold
an inquest Monday forenoon at ten
o'clock at the undertaking rooms.
Mother Was Frustrated.
The fact of the death of her little
girl was not broken to Mrs. Barr
until late in the evening, she first
having been told by Mr.. Burrill that
her daughter was badly wounded.
The shock proved to be severe
one. The child's father is bridge car
penter and is working out from Deer
Lodge, Mont, and he was telegraph
ed to this morning. Until he can
be located and heard from, arrange
'nents for the funeral will not be
made.
Just how the child happened to
fall from the trestle is as yet an
mystery. No one seems
TO have seen her fall, and it was an
hour after her death that her body
was found. At about the time that
she is believed to have been crossing
the trestle an engine and caboose
vent west on the Northwestern
track. 1t may be that if this passed
her on the track she got as far
from the rails as possible and fell
OFF. This train was in charge of
Conductor Eldred and Engineer DON
sein. These gentlemen have been
summoned to testify at the inquest.
Mother Warned Daughter.
1t appears that Mrs Barr was
strongly opposed to her daughter
crossing on the trestle and bridge,
and had forbidden her to do SO.
When Violet started for the milk
yesterday afternoon she started for
the railway bridge, but her mother
saw her and made her go by the
wagon bridge and gave her strict
orders to return by the wagon
bridge. The route by the railway
bridge was only about third as
long, and the child thought to save
steps by taking the more dangerous
road.