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Note: [Thomas Dixon.FTW]
The following is from The Pipestone County Star of 4 May 1926.
MRS O'CONNELL VICTIM OF FATAL ACCIDENT
Pipestone Women Hit by Train While on Way to Church Monday Morning.
A most deplorable accident occurred in this city yesterday morning, when Mrs. Ellen O'Connell was struck and almost instantly killed by a Great Northern freight train at the French Street crossing. The news of the fatal accident was a great shock to the people of this community, the deceased being an old and well known resident here.
Shortly before 6:30 o'clock, Mrs. O'Connell started from her home, 120 South Kenwood, to walk to St. Leo's Church, where she was to attend early morning services. As she approached the Great Northern tracks, a few blocks from her home, she saw a freight train coming in from the south, and witnesses state that when some distance from the crossing, she began running, evidently in an effort to get over the tracks before the crossing would be blocked by the train. She almost cleared the track but
misjudged the speed of the train, and was struck by the locomotive and thrown into the ditch at the west side of the track.
The engineer saw the woman hurrying to cross the track, and believing that she had gone over safely, he did not stop the train. A brakeman near the rear of the train, saw the woman laying near the track. G. Luschen, employed at the Monarch elevator, saw Mrs. O'Connell approaching the track and realized the peril she was in. He did not actually see the train strike her, but hurrying over to see if an accident had happened, he was one of the first to reach her. The unconscious woman was carried to the F. B. Michels home, 318 South Eliza street.
A physician who was quickly summoned, found that Mrs. O'Connell had sustained a fracture of her left leg, that the right side of her chest was crushed, and she had a few minor cuts and bruises. He expressed the opinion that her death was practically instantaneous. The circumstances connected with her death were such that is was not deemed necessary to hold a coroner's inquest.
Yesterday afternoon it was stated that definite arrangements for the funeral had not been made, word being awaited from some of the relatives residing at a distance.
Mrs. O'Connell was a woman held in the very highest esteem by her large circle of friends in this city and vicinity. Eight children, four sons and four daughters, are left to mourn her death. They are: Mrs Letita Humphrey, of Garretson, SD; Henry, of Los Angles, CA; Thomas, of Donora, PA; Richard of Marshall, MN; Mary of Fergus Falls, MN; Patrick of Philadelphia, PA; Lillian and Nellie of Pipestone. Also surviving her are a brother, Martin Dixon, of Ihlen; and three sisters, Annie Dixon of Ihlen; Mrs. Julia Arrowsmith of Holland, MN; and Mrs. John Connelly of Wahpeton, ND.
The late Mrs. O'Connell was born sixty-nine years ago in Janesville, WI, and her maiden name was Ellen Dixon. She was married in May, 1883, at Luverne, MN to Richard H. O'Connell and they resided on a farm in Eden township, Pipestone County, until 1902, when they moved to this city. In 1908 they moved to Ihlen. Mr. O'Connell took charge of the bank in that village, and they lived there about three years, then returning to Pipestone. Mr. O'Connell's death occurred here on January 26th, 1912.
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