The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-03-02
EMPLOYE OF OMAHA
NANCLED BY WHEELS
FRANCIS P. CONNOLLY WAS
z KILLED EARLY TODAY
ust How the Accident Occurred No One
Could Tell; When Last Seen He Stood
On Top Of Freight Car Giving Signal
To Engineer; His Home Is Believed
To Have Been at Lewiston, Mont;
Member of Several Lodges

10 Rave Been at Lewiston, Mont;
Member of Several Lodges
Francis P. Connolly, brakeman on
the Omaha road, was killed by the
first section of Omaha freight train
No. 20 about 2:15 o'clock this morning,
in the local Omaha yards, short dis
lance south of the platform of the
Omaha passenger depot. The body was
cut in two and the legs were badly
mutilated, Just how it happened, no
one could tell
Papers found in the mans pockets
indicated that his home was at Lewis
ton, Mont, and that he had wife liy-
ing in that city. There was receipt
showing him to be "a member of the
Elks' lodge at lewiston He also had
a card of the accident department of
the Fidelity and Deposit company of
Maryland. He also belonged to the
Irish Fellowship. club at Lewiston.
Newspaper Clipping Found.
In one pocket was found IA clipping,
evidently from a paper published at
New Richmond, Wis. How long ago
the item was published could not be
ascertained 1t read as follows:
ga. j. Connolly Has son of the
right sort and it is needless to say
that he is exceedingly proud of him.
Mr.. Connolly was happily surprised
to find in his mail a Christmas pres
ent in the shape of certified check
for 500 from his son, Francis p.
Connolly, who holds a responsible
clerkship in the commissary depart
ment of the Milwaukee railroad at
Lewiston, Mont. Francis is graduate
of the New Richmond high school
class of 1910 and has made a fine
record for himself in the west"
When last seen alive, Brakeman
Connolly was on top of car, giving
signals to the engineer. This was a
few minutes before his mangled body
was found The body was taken to the
Landkamer undertaking rooms.
Discovered BY Car Inspector.
The stock train, on which Mr.. Con-
molly worked, and which undoubtedly
ran over him, had hardly gone, when
the severed body was seen by a car
inspector and repairer, Merle v. Wal
rath of North Mankato. Mr.. Walrath
took hasty view of the severed parts
of the body, and the matter was at
once reported at the Omaha freight
office to Howard WEIGH, night clerk.
Word was sent without delay by wire
to the stock train which had departed
on it's journey toward st. Paul. Word
came back soon from the crew that the
man missed from the crew was Brake
man Francis P Connolly.
Coroner A. G. Liedloff was soon on
the scene. The body was removed to
the Landkamer undertaking rooms.
The contents of the pockets were
thoroughly examined. There were let
tiers that Mr.. Connolly had received
from his WIFE 1t appeared that Mr..
Connolly had not long ago been seek
ing a position, and he seemed to be
new at the art of 'braking. There was
a pass transporting him from New
Richmond to Spooner, Wis, where he
was to take and probably took his
examination for brakeman on February
IL. naf ~
New at the Work.
DR.. Liedloff is inclined to think that
the man, being somewhat new at brsk-
ing, was killed by an accident on his
own part. The weather was very cold,
making braking difficult, He may
have fallen from the top of one of the
cars. There was confusion on his
chin. This might have been caused by
striking against something in the fall.
4 The coroner will hold no inquest.
He is of the opinion that Mr.. Connolly,
once an attache of a Milwaukee com
mfssary, was far from being an ex-
irerienced brakeman, and the evidence
was strong that the death was ac-
cidental. There will be no inquest.
1t appears that Mr.. Connolly has
been staying with his father at New
Richmond, and keeping up a cores
| pondence with his wife. He had on him
some>valuables. He has diamond ring
and a good Elgin gold watch. He had
some money, and some coins OF other
! countries, which he seemed to be
carrying for pocket pieces. There
were Mexican, Newfoundland. Spanish,
English and Norwegian coins.
The man appeared to be between
twenty-five and thirty years Old
The Omaha officials sent word OF
the mans death to his relatives and to
/ his lodge.