The herald-advance. (Milbank, S.D.) 1890-1922, 1913-05-30

Last THURSDAY night coroner tlett
aud Undertaken Emanuel was sum.
moned to Big Stone by receiving word
that the mangled body of a mar had
been found on the railroad track just
east OF the brick yard in Big Stone.
The discovery of the accident was
made by the train crew when the train
reached Odessa, and blood was seen
upon the engine and a mans hat was
found caught ia the draw bar. Con-
ductor Schmidt secured a motor car
and with several OF his crew and the
marshal went back over the railroad
and found the BODY of a man lying
between the rails. The body was re-
moved TO the clear and word was sent
to the coroner, and the body was
brought to Milbank and placed in the
Emanuel undertaking establishment.
It was frightfully mangled, about the
upper part, the head being torn from
the trunk, and it was not until the
next day that the head was picked up.
It vas when parties returned the next
morning to where the fatality had oc-
Cured that it was discovered that
there had oeen a double tragedy and
that two men had lost their lives, the
body OF one of them having been
thrown from the track and hurled down
an embankrnent, and so was not dis
covered until employees at the Gold &
Co. brick yard found the second body
and the head of the first. notified the
coroner who again visited the scene.
He examined the bodv of the dead
man, which had been untouched up to
his arrival, so far as he knew. He
then discovered who the dead man
was. He ordered the remains taken
to the Crtonville moreue. there to be
prepared or burial, al the request of
his family, who had been notified.
Iaerger. had on the day Of the ac-
cldent come down from Alberta a
small town west of Morris on the
Great Northern and had on his per-
Sol a ticket from Graceville to Bird
Island, where he was going it is sup
posed to see a base ba3I game ia which
he "a interested.
He was a young IA about u years
OF age, and both he and his
ion wnO was hurled into eternity at
the same instant, we're deaf mutes and
lad known each other for a long time
and attended the same Minnesota state
school for mutes. j. "A. iaeryer. the
father o. the unfortunate young man.
IL a well-.o-do farmer, who lives
near Morris. Mimi. and when he
received the sad news came here Fri
day anQ on Saturday morning took
the remains OF his son to the home at
Morris, Mimi, for burial. The vOlng
man had been conducting a shoe store
at Alberta, but had packed his goods
and had them ready to ship to Fair.
mount, where he had arranged t put
them in a store az that place with an
other STOCK OF goods. The deceased
man was a young fellow of excellent
habits, and or his person was found
his bank book on the bank Of Alberta,
and a small amount of cash.
Messner'- home was said to be at
Hibbing in Minnesota. He had been
employed for some time with a civil
engineering crew on the construction
work OF the Milwaukee.
Much excitement prevailed in Orion
vile and Big Stone City. Coroner
Flett, Mr.. Ely aud one or two other,
spent the greater part of the day look
ing up the matter and locating wit
nesses and finding out the truth so far
as possible. Upon returning to Mil
pank the statements Of the train crew
were taken, and it was found that they
were not eye witnesses of the tragedy.
The coroner then determined to hold
an inquest. which was done by the
sheriff serving the necessary papers.
The %coroner's jury consisted OF " H.
koepke, D. Stats and J.W. Liggett.
They examined the effects of the dead
man. Leslie Iareger, at the office OF
DIR. Flett, the coroner, and with the
latter's assistance determined what
they could, after which he also assist
ed them in their examination Of the
body at w. f. Emanuel's morgue. la
the morning, accompanied BY the dep
uty sheriff, they went to Big Stone and
spent the dav 10 looking over the
grounds, examining the possessions
of the other unfortuna ate man, William
Messner, and in listening to the wit.
resses who we're called before the Jury
which hearing was held at the rear Of
fees Of the Gold & Co. state bank.
The accident occurred on the night
of May -, 1915. at a point about five
hundred feet east of Gold & Co.'S brick
yard, in Big Stone City, S. D., a
work train IN the en-. x St. +. R.R.
killed two men.
Discovery was first made BY Schmidt
~ lis SIS" WIZ lOUlu DiOOQ |
upon parts OF the engine and a hat on
the pilot drawbar. They procured a |
speeder and vent pack to the scene of
the tragedy, found the remains of a
man lying between the rails. They set
the body outside Of the railroad track
so hat it might not be run over bv
other trains, and incidentally TIED the
feet together with q handkerchief.
They Immediately notified the coron-I
who went down from Milbank with
Others OF the midnight train and
walked to the place where the accident
occurred. The and his party
found the body and turned it over to
Undertaken Emanuel Of Milbank. The
was not able to find the head.
only the dismembered body OF the man.
The substance of the evidence given
at the coroner inquest is herewith
given:
William l.. Schmitz, conductor on
the gravel train, testified: Left Mil
bank at sos, arrived at Odessa about
9:O5 accident occurred at Big Stone
hill about 8:45. We arrived at Odessa !
and discovered q hat on drawbar. /
Looked underneath engine and found
flesh and blood on tender and pilot.