USA > Minnesota > Stearns County > History of Stearns County, Minnesota, Volume I > Part 74
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While fishing in Sauk lake, at Sauk Centre, October 12, John Shepard, aged 75 years, fell from his boat and was drowned.
A son of Mr. Bowen, of Kimball, aged 14 years, was so badly injured by the explosion of his gun, an old musket, while hunting that he died October 13.
The two-year-old daughter of A. H. Luther, of St. Cloud, was fatally scalded December 1 by falling into a large pan of boiling water.
By her clothes catching fire from the stove, Miss Ferrin, an unmarried woman of 84 years, living alone in a small house adjoining that of her sister, Mrs. Brown, at Paynesville, was so terribly burned, December 3, that she died the following day.
While Mr. Bruenwald and his wife, of St. Nicholas, were temporarily absent from the house, December 10, the clothes of a little daughter caught fire from the stove and she was fatally burned.
Mrs. John Klapperich, of Albany, was found dead at her home near Mel- rose, December 23, as the result of arsenic poisoning. While suspicion pointed to a near relative of the deceased as having administered the poison there was not sufficient evidence to warrant an arrest.
1894. While watching some men who were cutting trees for cord wood, January 30, Mrs. Michael Osgo, of Brockway, was struck by a falling trec and instantly killed.
While on his way from his farm in the town of Mayhew Lake, Benton county, to St. Cloud, February 8, Joseph Stanley was shot and instantly killed by August Jahnn, and his son, William Stanley, was at the same time wounded
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by a shot in the body. The shooting was the result of a dispute over the right of way to the road over which both parties were hauling wood and had to pass. Mr. Stanley, who had spent his boyhood and had married at Maine Prairie, in this county, was well known in St. Cloud and had relatives here. Jahnn was arrested the same day and lodged in jail, claiming the shooting was done in self-defense. The case was presented at the January, 1895, term of the district court, and the jury refused to return an indictment, on the ground that the shot was fired in self-defense. A bill for assault in the second degree was rendered against Jahnn for shooting young William Stanley, the trial resulting in an acquittal.
While Chief of Police James E. McKelvy was attempting to arrest some tramps for highway robbery at St. Cloud, May 23, one of them drew a re- volver and aimed it at the chief's face. The latter instantly drew two re- volvers and began firing, three shots taking effect in the tramp's head and body, causing his death that afternoon. He gave his name as Frederick Clifton. The fourth shot wounded William Henderson, another of the gang. Three more of the tramps were arrested and held as witnesses. The coroner's jury exonerated Chief McKelvy from all blame.
While engaged in digging a well near Paynesville June 1 two young Germans, brothers named Donath, were suffocated by gas when at a depth of forty-five feet from the surface.
A boy named William Gunskott, while bathing in the Mississippi river at Sauk Rapids, July 14, was drowned.
Harry Weitzel, sixteen years of age, was caught in a brick-pressing ma- chine at Albany, July 17, and crushed to a shapeless mass.
Hugo C. Mctzl, a prominent jeweler of St. Cloud, committed suicide August 25 by shooting himself with a revolver. Despondency over business troubles was believed to have been the cause.
By the explosion of a kerosene lamp November 13 the wife of Peter Terres, of St. Martin, was so terribly burned that she died in a little more than an hour afterwards.
1895. While at St. Joseph's hospital, St. Paul, January 22, under treat- ment for an impairment of his eye-sight, Ferdinand Weisser, of this city, fell from a second-story window to the icy pavement below, fracturing his skull, death being almost instantaneous. He was about 25 years of age.
Two brothers, named Carlman, living near the Hennessey Bros. & Cox quarry, St. Cloud, were playing with revolvers which were supposed not to be loaded, February 8, when the younger snapped his weapon in the face of his brother Charles, aged 21 years, sending a bullet into his head, death re- sulting a few hours afterwards.
While fishing in a lake near Fair Haven May 5, Lyden H. Stevens, 73 years of age, fell from the boat and was drowned.
Mrs. Gustave Opitz of Fair Haven died June 6 from the effects of a dose of rat poison.
A young girl, Amanda Peterson, was drowned June 8 while bathing in a pool formed by the excavation at Hilder granite quarry, East St. Cloud.
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Anton, the three-year-old son of Jacob Batz, of Sauk Centre, drank the water from a saucer in which arsenical fly paper had been soaked June 14 and died in a few hours afterwards.
Another "didn't-know-it-was-loaded" tragedy occurred June 29 at Sauk Centre when George Carver, a lad ten years of age, got possession of a gun and in play snapped at his brother Marvin, aged thirteen, who was sitting on the floor reading, the charge tearing a fearful hole through his body, causing instant death.
A little child of August Swanson, of St. Cloud, fell into a trough of water July 7 and was drowned.
Adolph Block, of Maine Prairie, was caught August 23 between a traction engine and a separator and so badly crushed that he died the following day.
St. Cloud was cast into deep mourning August 26 by the drowning of George Tileston, one of its leading business men and most highly esteemed citizens, while starting for home from his mill, driving along a narrow road between the spur railway track and the canal, his horse frightened and backed into the canal, overturning the buggy, with Mr. Tileston underneath in four- teen feet of water. Almost half an hour passed before the body could be re- covered, and although every effort was made at resuscitation it was without avail. Mr. Tileston was but 37 years of age and was in the prime of his usefulness. He left a wife and three children.
Mrs. Nancy W. Kilgore, of Paynesville, fell between the cars of the train on which she had been riding, August 31, and was almost instantly killed. The deceased was 68 years of age.
By the explosion of the engine of a threshing machine Martin Alles, of Rockville, met with a sudden death September 27. He was the engineer, and his body was blown a distance of ninety feet.
As the result of playing with matches Frederick Earl, a young son of F. M. Low, of St. Cloud, was so terribly burned October 19 that death came to his relief a few hours later.
Ferdinand Hartman, for nearly forty years a resident of the town of St. Cloud, died October 29 from injuries received some days before by a runa- way accident on the Pleasant lake road. He was 67 years of age.
Henry Munsinger, of St. Cloud, 82 years of age, who had suffered the loss of a foot a short time before by being run down by an engine in the Great Northern yards, died November 29 as a result of the accident.
James Murphy, of Mayhew Lake, while crossing the Northern Pacific track at Sauk Rapids December 12, was struck by a passenger train and in- stantly killed.
Webster C. Gray, of St. Cloud, a former resident of South Haven, was killed by a train on the Willmar division of the Great Northern December 30.
1896. Elling Olson, one of the owners of a feed mill at Belgrade, while at work about the drive belt was caught by his clothes and drawn to the shaft. Before the machinery could be stopped he was so terribly mangled that he died in a few hours afterwards.
While bathing in Long lake July 7 Mason Hardy, 16 years old, of Eden Valley, was drowned.
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Joseph Griebler, of St. Cloud, who had become a professional bicycle rider, met his death at Lima, Ohio, July 29, by an accident during a race at that place. He was in the twenty-eighth year of his age.
Michael Mohr, a fireman on the Great Northern, was killed August 14 by a head-on collision at Groundhouse. He had lived with his family in St. Cloud until the removal of the division to Melrose.
By the accidental discharge of his gun as he had returned from hunting August 16, William Jones, of Getty, sixteen years of age, was instantly killed.
By his team running away on the evening of October 6 Martin Subana, of Brockway, was so badly injured that he died the next day. The shock of the accident was so great that it rendered his wife violently insane.
Leo P. Brick, of St. Cloud, was killed October 2, near the Osseo railroad crossing, by the overturning of the wagon in which he was riding.
1897. While on his way home from St. Cloud January 11, with a loaded sled, John Fischer, a well-known farmer of the town of St. Cloud, was thrown from his seat and falling before the runners was dragged a distance of half a mile. When the driverless team was discovered, his mangled body, from which life was extinct, was still in the position in which it had fallen.
Frank J. Long, a prominent railroad man living at St. Cloud, slipped and fell in front of a locomotive at Milaca January 29 and was instantly killed.
Chris. Pohl, of St. Paul, while on a visit to his brother-in-law, Peter Meinz, of Rockville, April 3, was drowned in Sauk river.
While at work on a log jam above the dam at St. Cloud April 19 Henry Sherro lost his footing and falling into an opening among the logs was drowned.
Mrs. Ellen Spaulding, wife of Willard Spaulding, of Maine Prairie, was drowned April 26. She was 66 years of age.
While engaged in plowing at the Meadow Lawn farm in the town of Brockway April 27, John Peternell, a native of that town, was so terribly injured by his team running away, the point of the plow entering his body, that he died the following day.
The Mississippi river claimed a second victim this year, when May 30, Charles Dougherty, who had gone with two companions, his brother, John, and Jerry David, fishing in a small boat, just below the dam, at St. Cloud, was drowned. The boat capsized, and while the other two were rescued he went to the bottom.
John, a nine-year-old son of John M. Majerus, of St. Cloud, was drowned June 22, while wading in Lake George.
While playing with other boys near a deep ditch by the railroad at St. Cloud, July 7, Edward, a little son of Joseph Braun, of the Great Northern car shops, fell into the water and was drowned.
A wash-out on the railroad near St. Joseph caused the wreck of an extra freight train on the evening of July 6, resulting in the death of Charles Washburn, son of F. H. Washburn, Great Northern yardmaster, at St. Cloud, who was crushed between the cars.
By the explosion of an improvised cannon with which the Fourth of July was being celebrated, John Wolfschleger, of Opole, was so badly injured that he died soon afterwards.
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Dr. Albert O. Gilman, of St. Cloud, was killed July 16 by a shot from a rifle. He was one of the leading physicians of the state and his death was deeply regretted.
Martin Leubesmeier, a farmer of St. Augusta, while crossing the railroad track near the Hess-Moog brickyards, St. Cloud, July 21, was struck by a railroad train and instantly killed. The deceased was 66 years of age and a widower.
Benjamin Neumann, who had conducted a grocery and bakery business in St. Cloud, committed suicide July 25, by hanging.
While fording a small creek, which had been swollen by the rains, Sebas- tian Seitter, a farmer, living between Richmond and Eden Valley, was drowned July 24.
Injuries received while attempting to stop a runaway team August 27, resulted in the death the following day of T. A. H. Kieldahl, a well-known resi- dent of Belgrade.
While at work in a gravel pit in the town of Haven, on the Great North- ern Railroad, September 14, Joseph Junglen, of St. Cloud, was crushed to death between the cars.
John H. Kropp, a leading contractor of St. Cloud, was drowned October 7, while crossing Ten-mile lake, near Fergus Falls, in a small boat. He was alone at the time. Although repeated searches were made the body was not recovered until April 15, of the following year, when it was discovered float- ing on the surface of the lake, in a good state of preservation.
Grasping two live wires while engaged in his duties as lineman for the St. Cloud Gas and Electric Company, Michael Seitz was instantly killed Octo- ber 12, at St. Cloud.
John Goedker, of Sauk Rapids, while returning home from St. Cloud on the night of October 25, was struck at the Grand street crossing by a rail- road train, receiving injuries from which he died a few hours afterwards.
Jacob Rose, a switchman in the railroad yards at Melrose, was caught between two cars, October 27, and crushed to death.
1898. A little daughter of August Gumtow, of Paynesville, was so badly burned by her dress catching fire, that after lingering in agony for several days death came to her relief.
The body of Thomas Van Etten, of Sauk Rapids, who was supposed to have drowned in January, was found floating in the Mississippi river at St. Paul, March 9. He was 28 years of age and was a son of the late Capt. Thomas Van Etten.
Henry Weber, a young man, 16 years of age, while hunting near Rich- mond, March 29, went on the treacherous ice on Sauk river, which gave way and he was drowned in seven feet of water.
William Plantenberg, a quarryman in the Baxter quarry, at St. Cloud, was killed April 7, by a large rock, which he was splitting, falling on and crushing him.
Edwin, the three-year-old son of Amos Whittemore, of Melrose, who fell into a boiler of scalding water, March 26, died April 14 of his injuries.
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Albert Gruel, a farmer living near Albany, met with death July 2, from a gunshot wound.
During the parade at Avon, July 4, a little son of Thomas Kelles received injuries by falling from a wagon, which resulted in his death half an hour afterwards.
A small row boat in which John Bretz and Joseph Eltrich were crossing Pleasant lake, July 10, capsized and Bretz was drowned.
Joseph Meyer, of St. Cloud, was run over by a train of cars at Great Falls, Montana, July 11, and killed.
While swimming in St. John's lake, Collegeville, July 13, Paul Noll, a brother of the Order of St. Benedict, was drowned.
Julia Murphy, daughter of W. W. Murphy, of St. Cloud, aged eight years, was so frightfully burned July 30, by the explosion of a can of kerosene, which she was using in kindling a fire, that she died the following evening.
While crossing the railroad track near the depot at Melrose, September 12, an old gentleman, named Moehrn, father of Casper Moehrn, with whom he made his home, was struck by a passenger train and almost instantly killed.
During the progress of a thunder-storm at Maine Prairie, September 23, Mathias Dockendorf, a farmer of that town, was struck by lightning and in- stantly killed. He carried a pitchfork over his shoulder as he walked beside his team of horses, and the bolt first struck the fork, then leaping to his body, tore the clothing entirely away except the wrist bands of his shirt.
Struggling in an endeavor to save his younger brother's life, Fred Nei- meier went to a watery grave in McGowan's lake, near Albany, October 23. The two were in a boat which capsized, and five times Fred, who was an ex- cellent swimer, succeeded in placing his brother on the flat bottom of the up- turned boat, but each time the boy, who was 13 years of age, slipped off. The elder brother was urged by men on the shore, who could render no as- sistance, to save himself, but he replied that he would save both or neither, and both went to the bottom.
1899. John Rose, a farmer, 70 years of age, one of the early settlers in the town of Oak, was found in his own field, frozen to death, on the morning of February 30. He had attended mass the previous day at New Munich and had evidently been overcome by the severe cold, the mercury being 25 degrees below zero.
Mrs. John Merton, of Jacob's Prairie, while in the stable with her hus- band, February 7, was crushed to death by a horse.
Mathias Berg, Sr., 70 years of age, while alone in the house on his son's farm, near Richmond, February 7, in some way set fire to the building and was so badly burned that he died soon afterwards.
By a fall, April 24, Henry Laudenbach, of St. Cloud, 79 years of age, re- ceived injuries from which he died two days afterwards.
Seized with cramps while bathing in King lake, near Freeport, July 20, Gerhard Klosen, proprietor of the Freeport Hotel, sank and was drowned in plain sight of his three companions.
The accidental discharge of a shot gun in the hands of a companion, with
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whom he was walking, July 23, resulted in the death of John W. Timmers, a prosperous farmer of Lake Henry.
During a thunder storm, July 25, John B. Harren, a teacher in the town of Millwood, and Miss Agnes Herzog, his affianced, were both struck by lightning and instantly killed at the Herzog home.
During the same storm a boy named Schmeising, at work in a hay field, in Meier Grove, was struck by lightning and killed.
A cistern in which Andrew Ehresman was working, July 28, at the Bene- dictine Convent, St. Joseph, caved in and he was crushed to death.
Christoph Roehrs, of the town of Holding, died August 10, from a gun- shot wound.
While driving home from his work, August 19, Charles L. Carlson, a stonecutter at St. Cloud, was struck by lightning and instantly killed, the bolt knocking him from his buggy.
The death of Mrs. Peter Ruegemer, Sr., of Richmond, resulted September 30 from a fall down the cellar stairs of her house. She was 73 years of age.
By the collapse of the sheething in the sewer under construction at St. Cloud, by Webster & Blake, Andrew Tierney, a pipe-layer, was crushed to death, October 12.
Edward A. Keppers, manager of the creamery at Albany, stepped Octo- ber 28, from the platform of a car on a siding in front of another train, which he did not see and was instantly killed.
Alone in the pasture, November 13, Peter Michels, a farmer, 83 years of age, in the town of St. Joseph, was attacked by an infuriated bull and gored and beaten to death. His mangled body was found some hours afterwards.
Caught between logs on a wood pile on which she was playing with other children, December 8, Loretta, the five-year-old daughter of John Kruchten, of St. Cloud, was crushed to death.
1900. Frederick A. Lempke, who had been conducting a Christian Sci- ence institute in St. Cloud, was found January 25 with his head in a heating stove, burned to a crisp. It is thought that possibly he had a stroke of apo- plexy, while fixing the fire.
Egbert P. Sartell, of St. Cloud, met his death March 18 by the accidental discharge of a revolver.
Two little boys, Charles Thienes and Leo Rupp, of St. Cloud, were drowned June 25, while attempting to swim across the Mississippi river near the railroad bridge.
While bathing in the Mississippi river at Sauk Rapids, July 6, John, the eleven-year-old son of James Burns, was drowned. The body was rescued two days afterwards.
Edward Book, of Kimball, was instantly killed at Hinckley, August 28, by a sharp piece of wood, thrown with great violence from a circular saw, striking him just above the eye, passing almost through his head.
The breaking of a wagon stake threw Nicholas Larsch, a farmer, of the town of St. Wendel, who was on his way to St. Paul, with a load of wood, September 14, to the ground and the wheels passed over his neck, killing him almost instantly.
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Peter M. Weber, of Pearl Lake, in the town of Maine Prairie, died October 1, from the effects of a kick in the abdomen, by a horse, received a week be- fore.
While playing around the coal dock at the Northern Pacific station at East St. Cloud, October 10, an eleven-year-old boy, Hilden Larson, was caught by the bucket-carrying chain and crushed to death.
By the accidental discharge of a gun in the hands of his brother, Ernest Wartenberg, a boy eight years of age, living near Paynesville, was instantly killed, November 8.
While playing with a rope in the granary of his stepfather, John Began- ick, a farmer in the town of Holding, December 30, a lad named Frank Kurtz accidentally hanged himself.
John Zwickel was caught between two cars, which he was coupling in the Great Northern yards, at St. Cloud, December 31, and so badly crushed that his life went out with that of the year.
1901. His parents being away from home, May 30, an eleven-year-old son of John Cassidy, of Lyden township, getting hold of a revolver, which he believed to be unloaded, placed it to his temple, when the single shell which it contained, was exploded, the ball entering his head, causing death soon after- wards.
Willie, the six-year-old son of Charles Reinke, a farmer, living seven miles from Albany, was burned to death, June 6, by his clothes catching fire from a brush fire.
Albert, the thirteen-year-old son of F. J. Heywood, of St. Cloud, was drowned August 2, while bathing with some companions in the mill pond, at Fair Haven.
While engaged at work on the platform of the railroad station at Roth- say, August 13, Frank X. Seifert, a St. Cloud carpenter, was struck by the locomotive of a passenger train and so badly injured that he died the follow- ing day.
Michael Weinand, of Avon, while working in a harvest field in North Dakota, August 13, was instantly killed by a stroke of lightning.
While bathing alone in the Mississippi river at St. Cloud, August 17, Peter Von Levern was drowned. It was believed that he had been seized with cramps after entering the water.
Jolın Neis, of Jacobs' Prairie, was erushed to death near Richmond, Octo- ber 8, by a threshing machine accident.
The body of Henry Timmers, a well-known farmer, of St. Joseph, was found October 18, on the road beneath his wagon, from which he had fallen and met his death.
1902. Clarence J. Abell, of St. Cloud, temporarily engaged as a brakeman on the Great Northern, was killed at Ronneby, January 22, while coupling cars.
Anton Maher, a farmer of Munson, died February 4, as the result of a fall received a few days before, which caused concussion of the brain.
Robert Charles was shot and fatally injured at Eden Lake, March 12, by John Hurd, who lived on a neighboring farm. Hurd was arrested and
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admitted the shooting, but claimed self-defense. His trial came on at the June term of the district court, the jury returning a verdict of not guilty.
Two fatalities occurred June 9: William Noack, a farmer of Lynden town- ship, fell from a barn he was shingling, receiving injuries which resulted in his death, but not until July 4, of the following year ; and Francis Linn, of Pearl Lake, was knocked to the ground and almost instantly killed by a fractious horse he was driving.
Louis Anderson, a blacksmith, employed at the Aetna Iron Works, St. Cloud, was struck on the head July 12, by a section of an emery wheel, which broke while he was at work on it, death following a few hours afterwards.
Freeman Leopard, a brakeman on the Great Northern, fell between the ears of a moving train, near Dalton, September 6, and his body was terribly mangled, death evidently being instantaneous.
Eriek L. Hedin, a merchant at Sauk Centre, was drowned October 20, in Sauk lake, falling from a steep bank into the water.
By the explosion of a charge of dynamite with which he was blasting rock in a field in the township of Roekville, October 22, George Sassgen was instantly killed.
1903. Michael Cosgrove, an old soldier, living at Melrose, fractured his skull by a fall down the stairs, January 17, dying almost instantly.
High winds putting beyond his control, a fire, which Christian Helmer, of New Paynesville, had started, April 27, in a meadow in the town of Zion, he was burned to death. The deceased was over 70 years of age.
Sauk river elaimed a vietim May 23, when Nicholas Ransch, a twelve- year-old boy, whose parents lived at St. Cloud, was drowned in a deep hole above the Waite bridge, where he had gone in bathing.
Mrs. M. T. Michels, wife of a retired Krain farmer, living at Melrose, was drowned May 25, in the mill pond at that place.
Barney Sehlemer, a farmer of the town of St. Joseph, fell June 1, from a load of shingles, which he was taking home from St. Cloud, receiving in- juries from which he died two days afterwards.
Having tied about his waist the end of a rope by which he was leading a cow to pasture, Joseph, the eleven-year-old son of George M. Schaefer, of Albany, was dragged to his death, June 17, by the animal becoming unruly.
While engaged in coupling cars on the Soo railroad at New Paynesville, June 24, Jay Woodruff, a former resident of St. Cloud, was knocked down by a bunting locomotive, the wheels of the cars passing over him and erushing him to death.
W. F. Street, for many years a prominent attorney in St. Cloud, was shot and killed, July 30, at Bemidji, by the accidental discharge of a gun in the hands of his brother-in-law, Louis Bland. He was 52 years of age.
Losing his hold, while swimming by the aid of a log, in Bear lake, in the town of Krain, August 2, Joseph Paul, 18 years old, went to the bottom, in sight of his companions, who were powerless to aid him.
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