The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1914-05-15
WOMAN WAS QUICKLY
HURLED |hT0EIERM|TY

From Fridays Daily. $3.50.
Mrs. Mary Nelson, wife OF Charles
Nelson, employed In the brickyard
at lie Hitler, was struck and in
stantly killed by the Northwestern
passenger train as II was coming
towards Mankato about 4:45 o'clock
yesterday afternoon.
Mrs. Nelson was walking on the
right-of-way, being on her way from
her own home to that of her daugh-
ter, Mrs. A. Ionic, on the other
side Of the tracks. She had just
stepped out of the way of Omaha
freight train. coming from the city.
and was walking between the oma.
Ia and the Northwestern tracks,
coming towards the city. She was
Just TO the right of the right hand
rail of the Northwestern track.
Engineer Blew Whistle.
Albert Kuge OF Waseca, the en-
gineer, saw the woman when she
was quite a distance ahead OF
him, and blew the whistle for her
ITO get out of the way. The train
at that time, according to eye.
witnesses, was going about fifteen
miles an hour. The woman did
not seem to realize that O train was
coming behind her. When the train
reached her, she was struck by
the brace of the pilot about the
middle of the back and hurled about
thirty-five feet. The air-brake was
thrown on and the train was brought
to q stop, when there were still
two cars back of the spot where
she was struck. She was dead when
picked up and n subsequent exam
nation showed that some part Of
the engine had struck her in the
back of the head badly fracturing
the skull at the base and killing
her instantly.
Tragedy Witnessed by Son.
The body was taken first to the
Nelson home, and afterwards to
the Landkamer undertaking rooms
Coroner A. G. Liedloif, after an ex-
Elimination, and a talk with several
eye witnesses, including Fay Bur
rill, John Rhodes and Sebastian Zim-
norman, Jr., decided to hold an In
quest this afternoon In the under
taking room, beginning at 1880
o'clock. Sheriff Osten at once set
about getting a coroner's jury. Every
member of the train crew includ-
ing Engineer Kluge and Conductor
Louis Kit1man OF Winona, besides
several others were notified to ap-
pear and shgive their testimony.
Among those who saw the tragedy
was her son, Albert. "."
Crossed Track Frequently.
The Nelson's, had lived in their
present residence about a year.
They and other people had been &C.
customed to cross the right-of-way
where Mrs. Nelson was killed.
There are two well.worn paths. one
on one slope and one on the other.
of the embankment where the
tracks are placed, and about 600
feet apart. 'Gj,' 'nH
Mrs. Nelson was ffty-one years
old. She is survived by her hus-
band and eight children, Mrs: G.
Goddell Of Morgan, MIMI, Mrs. A.
Ionic Of Mankato and Lottie, Willie,
Anna, Dorothy. Fred and Albert,
all living at the family home. She
also leaves brother, John Han
kins of Canada; a half-brother, Nord
Castos of Blakely, Mimi, and a
half.sister, Mrs. Sarah Meierbachtel
of Blakley, MINI. There was no
evidence that Mrs. Nelson wore a
shawl over her head, as some had
reported. She did, however, wear
a brown veil, which was fastened
in the customary manner.
The Inquest.
The inquest over the death OF
Mrs. Nelson was held late this after
noon in the Landkamer undertaking
rooms. The Jurors were ]. r.
Bowen, William Graft, Fred Force.
Grin Laughlin, Hugh Jones and T.
r. Cummings.
The first witness to be called
was Albert Kluge. the engineer
Mr.. Kluge said he first saw the wo-
man when he was coming around
curve about 600 feet from her.
She was walking on the right side
OF the track on which his train was
approaching her, by the side Of the
rail. There was distance Of about
900 feet from the bridge to the
curve. The train at that time was
going about 40 miles per hour. He
kept on whistling, but she did not
seem to pay the slightest attention.
When he was 200 feet from her he APP
piled the emergency brakes. The
woman had scarf on her head, and
that was perhaps why she did not
hear. At the place where the en-
CINE struck her, there was a space
OF about twenty feet between that
track and the one on which the
Omaha freight train had just passed.
going In the opposite direction
There was viaduct near by that