Page:History of Stearns County, Minnesota; volume 1.pdf/738



1866. A young son of Ferdinand Hartman, living two miles from St. Cloud, was killed August 1, by a fork which had been thrown over a load of hay striking him on the head, one prong entering his eye, causing instant death.

1867. While a young man named Theophilus Brown, living about a mile below St. Cloud, was engaged, February 26, with Louis Mockenhaupt in felling trees the latter cut partly through a tree which suddenly split and swung to one side, crushing Brown to the ground and killimg him instantly.

Plumb Stanley, a sixteen-year-old son of T. B. Stanley, of Maine Prairie, was drowned in Pearl lake, April 30, while endeavoring to secure a duck he had shot. The body was not recovered until four weeks afterward, but was even then in a good state of preservation.

August, the three-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Metzroth, of St. Cloud, July 15 fell into a hole filled with water and was drowned.

While John L. Thompson was at Grand lake, November 7, with a party who were occupying a deserted house, he attempted to frighten a young German boy by playing Indian, when the latter fired his rifle at Thompson, the shot proving fatal.

1868. At New Munich May 1, two little children of Jacob Hayman, while trying to follow their mother across Getchell creek, fell into the stream and were both drowned.

While at work at Tobey's sawmill at St. Cloud, July 22, Zeb Raymond, who was working at the edger, was struck by lightning and instantly killed. Fiften other men at work in the mill at the time felt the shock.

Jacob Schutter, while loading hay, July 24, near Plumb lake slipped and fell, a sharp stake entering his groin and passing through to the backbone. He died two days afterwards.

1869. While Robert, the seven-year-old son of John Carlisle, of St. Cloud, was in the stable, February 12, he began pulling the tail of one of hte horses, when the animal kicked him in the stomach. THe lad lingered in great pain until the following day, when he died.

A couple of Chippewa Indians who were just across the river from St. Cloud, May 10, had a misunderstanding, when one shot the other, killing him instantly. The body was found later, wrapped in a blanket and surrounded by empty whiskey bottles. It was taken charge of and buried by C T. Brown, the Chippewa agent, who happeed to be in town at the time. The murderer, going to a camp of teamsters near by, shot off the other barrel of his gun and saying that he had just killed an Indian, disappeared.

A little son of Christian Bebense, of St. Cloud, while on a log, one end of which was in the Mississippi river, fell into the war, April 30, and was carried out by the swift current and drowned before help could reach him. The body was not recovered until four weeks later, when it was found at Bear Island, 20 miles down the river.

A nine-year-old boy, son of Andrew Shearer, of St. Paul, who was attending school at St. John's College, near St. Joseph, was killed June 2 by a pet bear. He struck the animal, which became enraged and sprang on him, killing him almost instantly.