The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1911-08-11


No motive for the crime Is known
but it is said by the officers thai
the man had been drinking all day
Sunday and for the last week.
From Tuesdays Daily.
! A fatal accident happened at the
Widell company's Klondike quarry
four miles north of the city, at about
$3.50 o'clock this forenoon, the victim
being Jacob Pepper. an aged quarry
worker, who had been employed at
the quarry off and on for some five
years past.
| The derrick at the east end of the
quarry was hosting a stone, to swing
it around from the ledge where it
had been quarried to a lower ledge,
and in doing this the accident hap
pened John Anderson, the engineer,
had raised the boom with the stone
some five or six feet, to clear the
other stones lying on the the ledge.
and started to shift the lever so as
to drop the boom little lower,
which would give the stone wider
swing, and in some way the boom
got away and swung rapidly around
to the north. toward where several
men were standing. Pepper was
about fifteen feet from the stone
when it started, and several men
who noticed the accident shouted for
the men to get away, and all but
Pepper did SO. The aged quarry
man, however. stood seemingly spell
bound watching the huge stone
swinging rapidly toward him. The
others say that he had time to have
sought safety, as two steps would
have taken him out Of the path Of
the stone, but the power of acting
seemed to have left him and he
stood helpless. awaiting his doom.
Rock Struck Him Blow.
The rock struck him a terrible
blow on his left forehead, crushing
his skull in and fattening it, and
gouging some of the brain out over
his right eye He dropped over dead,
and not even moan was heard to
escape his lips.
General Widell was not far away
in the quarry. but the engine house
Obscured his view and he did not
witness the accident. but saw the
boom slide down, and heard the men
his dead employee, and then went to
the office and notified Coroner Ken-
nedy, who, with Deputy Coroner
John H. Macbeth and the Free Press
reporter, fastened to the scene of
the accident.
Investigation showed that no one
seemed to be to blame. The engi-
neer, Mr.. Anderson, has been working
as an engineer for twenty-five years.
and never had an accident before.
and is utterly unable to account for
this one. The engine is of twenty
six horse power and in perfect work
ing condition. and the derrick is one
of the largest i'm the quarry and the
cables are new. Mr.. Anderson was
almost overcome by the shock Of
witnessing the accident.
Accident Was UnsxpIainablc.
General Widell said that the acct
dent was unexplaiuable. He never
had one like it happen before. The
stone that was being moved contain
ed thirty-nine cubic feet, and weigh
ed G,240 pounds, but this same der
rick has moved stones much larger,
and even as great as lis cubic feet.
with a proportionate weight. The
stone was swung down to the lower
ledge after the accident, and the
mechanism of the engine worked
perfectly.
Coroner Kennedy decided to turn
the remains over to Landkammer
Bros, and they were removed to-
their undertaking rooms.
Among the men who witnessed the
accident were Benjamin Nelson. the
foreman, Charles Swanson, der
hickman, Amel Mollenburg, who was
working on the ledge, William Hintz,
a drller, and Tony GObler, a drill
Ter. These and the four or five other
men who saw it all shouted to the
endangered men to get out OF the
way.
Was a Single Man.
Pepper boarded and lodged at the
boarding house at the quarry, Whlch
is in charge of Sander Johnson. Mr..
Johnson had frequently talked with
him, and Pepper had told him that
he had no relatives anywhere. lie
told Johnson that he was seventy
three years of age, and his appear
ance confirmed this. as he was get
ting gray. However, he was a strong
man and a good and faithful worker,
as General Widell testifies. The lat
ter expressed his sorrow at the accl-
dent, and referred kindly to the old
man as good quarryman and falth !
full employe.
Pepper was single man, and was
born in Germany. although some OF
the workmen claim that his language
when using his native tongue showed
a Bohemian dialect.
Coroner Kennedy consulted with
County Attorney Schmitt and the
latter advised him that there was
no need for holding an inquest, and
this being the case, Mr.. Kennedy de-
cided not to hold one.
Arrangements for the funeral have
not yet been made.
3 rom Tuesdays Daily. :,
Rapid City, S. d.. August kept
in cage with pair of South Amer
lean hyenas, which were being
shown with a carnival, and bitten
h~ oil