The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1918-04-26
mother AND YOUTH
! COULD HAVE SAVED
SELVES FROM DEATH
Statement Made BY Engineer
OF Passenger Train On The
Northwestern Road
From thursdays Daily.

stated last evening that he did not eX-
pect TO hold an inquest over the death
OF Mrs. Bertha Sammt and her son,
William Otto Sammt, who were killed
yesterday afternoon by Northwest
ern passenger train, not far from the
mouth of Minneopa creek. He i'll
tended, however, to have an interview
with the engineer. James Hockinhull,
Tracy, and ascertain all that was pos
sibie about the circumstances. The lat
ter was due to go through MankatO
again this afternoon, shortly after
four o'clock.
The bodies Of the mother and son
we're examined last night at tho
Landkamer undertaking rooms by
DR.. A. G. Long, with the assistance Of
DR.. A. A. Wohlrabe. The right side of
the mothers head was badly crushed.
1t was so easy to see how she met her
death that no autopsy was deemed
necessary.
An autopsy was held over the body
of the boy, the cause of whose death
was not too easy to ascertain. He is
reported to have been still alive when
picked up, together with the body OF
his mother, and placed on the baggage
car His neck was not broken. Both
the head and the body were subjected
to an internal examination. The or
gans of the trunks were all in I
healthy normal condition. The brain
was bloody, though there was no
fracture CT the skull. 1t was decided
that he died of shock and conclusion
If the brain.
Husband Is CIammer.
Otto Sammt, the surviving husband
ard father, is machinist, but he was
intending to spend the summer, if it
paid, in the collection and sale OF
clam shells. He stated today that he
had intended to camp and carrying on
that trade. He had tent and other
pararhernalia loaded into boat,
which he rowed UP the river, while
his wife and child walked on the land,
the arrangement being that they
should meet on the bank Of the river
just above Minneopa creek.
This plan was partly carried out. At
times the wife and child could see
him and he could see them, as he
rowed the boat upstream and they
were walking along the bank. The
woman and child had almost reached
Minneopa creek, when he lost sight Of
them He had expected that they would
get across the creek on stones as the
water was very low But, he said aft
| erwards. it appeared that they had
taken the route across the railroad
bridge itself.
| He rowed his boat up stream past
| the mouth of the creek to the place
where he was to meet them and there
| he waited He had expected that they
would be there first. After a time he
noticed from the smoke of the engine
that the passenger train that was due
10 pass that place about that time had
stopped on the bridge. Thinking that
there was something wrong, or some
accident had happened, he went up tc
! the track. AS he arrived, the bodies OF
/ the wife and son had just been put in
! to the baggage car.
Bodies at West End of Bridge.
! As nearly as he could make out
from what was told him, the bodies
were picked UP at the west end of the
| bridge, on the far side from Mankato
1t seemed probable that they hao
about crossed the bridge when they
were struck. He got on the train anG
went with them to JudsOn. Later the
! bodies were taken to Mankato and
| placed in the Landkamer morgue.
i Mrs. Bertha Sammt was born or
March 8, 1876 at Winona. She was 8
daughter of Mr.. and Mrs. Frederick
Brendler. who are living in Mankatc
/ at 121 North Sixth street. She was
married at Winona to Ward Ayars who
] died eleven years ago. Three daugh.
/ tiers. all of whom are living, were bOrr
of that marriage. They are Alberta
Ayars, fourteen years old; Winons
Ayars, thirteen, and Gladys Ayars
eleven. All have been living witt
their relatives in Mankato, or, a.
times, out in the country
Family Came Here Five Years AGO
The little boy. William Adolpl
! Sammt, child of the second marriage
was born at Sioux Valley, Mimi. l
was five years ago that the famil.
moved to Mankato.
;! Mrs Sammt is also survived by fou
brothers and four sisters; A. Z. Brend
Ter and William Brendler, Cheyenne
Wye. Fred Brendler, Owatonna
Henry Brendler, Jersey City, N. j.
Mrs. D. B. Murdoch, Grand Forks
. Mrs. Arthur Wood, Coed, Neb.; Mrs
Sophie Corey. Mankato, and Mis-
Frieda Brendler, Mankato.
The funeral will be held tomorrow
afternoon at two o'clock from TIL
, Landkamer undertaking rooms.
service will also take place at TIL
German Methodist church, Broad an
Spring streets. The services will b
conducted by Rev. Carl Kroeger. TIL
interment will be in Glenwood GENE
terry.
The pail bearers for Mrs. Samm
will be chosen by the Ladies' Aid so
ciety of the church and those for tn
little boy will be chosen by the Sun
day school.
, Statement Made by Engineer.
James Huckenhull, engineer of tn
train that killed the woman and he
son, in an interview with The Ere
Press by long distance telephone q
: Tracv, told Of his own observations
. which throw the whole into new an
l very startling light.
: He stated that he saw a perso
on the track when his train was som
4 distance away 1t was raining {.
the time and he could not tell whethe
Y the person was man or. woman, bu
e thought it was a man with rain