The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-10-17
Manuelo Cerminaro Well
Known Among Italians
Killed by Switch Train.
HAD GONE UNDER The CARS
Life is Crushed Out Under an Oil Car
and Body of Man was Terribly
Mangled.-Leaves +. a Widow and
Seven Children.

Manuelo Cerminaro, aged 45 years,
and widely known among the Italians
of the city, was ground to death under
the wheels of a freight train at the
corner of Rowland avenue and Mar
ket street just after six o'clock Thurs
day evening when he attempted to
crawl under car on his way home
from his work at the plant of the
American Brass Company. Cerminaro
was instantly killed and the remains
were so mangled as to make identi.
fcation difficult.
| Cerminaro has been resident of
Kenosha for the past ten years and
he is survived by a widow and seven
children. He made his home at $50
Pearl street. The killing Of the man
was witnessed by scores of people
many of whom were working girls on
their way shome from work and when
the car passed over the man crushing
the life out of him there was near
panic at the crossing. Women faint
ed and became hysterical and it was
necessary to call physicians to care
for them.
Cerninaro and one of his fellow
workmen had been walking west on
Market street and they had waited at
the Scholey corner for few minutes
for freight crew switching cars.
Cerminaro againts the protests of his
companion decided to crawl under the
train in order to get home to his sup
per and when he went under the car
there was quick start Of the train
and before it could be stopped an oil
car had passed over the man. His
right arm was severed from the body
and one of the wheels struck his head
mangling it in a horrible manner,
The remains of the man were re.
moved to the Mischler and Stanton
morgue and Coroner Stanton will hold
an inquest to determine the blame for
the death of the man this evening.
There is conflict of statements as to
whether or not the crossing was prop
erly protected. Some of the people
seen by the coroner declared that Ger
minaro had no warning of danger,
while others claimed that the man in
charge of the crossing had shouted to
him just before he met his death.
Many of the people living in this
section of the city are accustomed to
take great chances with blocked cross
ings and it is declared that it is no
uncommon thing TO have people crawl
under the cars. The railway c0mpany's
agents in Kenosha declare that this
is done at nearly all the crossings in
the city and that it is miracle that
more people are not killed.
Cerminaro was widely known among
the Italians of the city and his death
under the circumstances has caused
great sorrow among those people.
The story of the accident as told by
the friends of Cerminaro differs in
many ways from the story told by The
witnesses to the coroner. These peo-
PIE claim that Cerminaro was accom-
panied by two friends and that he did
not crawl under the train, but walked
on the track and was struck by the
rear car. They assert that another
man was bumped by the train and
that one young woman was also
struck. No such reports were made TO
the police and the names Of other peo-
pie said to have been injured have not
been discovered. The Italians claim
that at the time of the accident the
Waterman was not at his post, but
that he came after Cerminaro had been
killed. So many conflicting stories
have been told that the coroner plans
to summon a large number of witnesses
for the inquest this evening in an eff
fort to get at the real facts in the case.