WILLIAM SCHWANDT

WM. SCHWANDT MEETS DEATH AS AUTO GOES OFF DOCK
GARAGE MAN MEETS DEATH WHEN CAR PLUNGES OFF DOCK AT SO. ELEVENTH STREET AT MIDNIGHT
Theory Is That Schwandt Made a Mistake and Turned Onto Eleventh Instead of
Tenth Street—Body is Recovered by Police.
William H. Schwandt, member of the firm of Behnke Brothers Garage company, met
death in the river shortly after 11 o’clock Thursday night when he drove his
car over the dock at the foot of South Eleventh street. Schwandt was crawling
along at a very slow pace when the accident happened and it is believed that he
mistook Eleventh for Tenth street. The body was recovered an hour later and the
car was taken from the river at 4 o’clock this morning.
Schwandt’s body was taken from behind the wheel of the car and except for two
bumps on the forehead, probably received when the car tipped over in the fall
into the river, bore no marks. It was removed to the Pfeffer undertaking parlor
on Washington street.
Schwandt had been at the garage of the company at about 10:30 in the evening and
had been talking business to a party of three people, a man, his wife and another
lady companion. It was raining and when the visitors got ready to leave Schwandt
offered to take them home on the south side. It was Schwandt’s custom to drive
his car back to the garage every evening and then walk to his home at 625 South
Nineteenth street and he was on his way to return to the garage when the fatal
accident occurred.
One Witness to Accident
As far as can be learned there was but one witness to the accident, Walter Reininger,
who is employed at the Calumet tower of the Chicago & North Western who was passing
over the Tenth street bridge at the time and happened to be looking in the direction
of the spot where the accident occurred. He saw a car coming toward the dock at a
very slow rate and watched it go over the dock and into the river. Believing that
automobile thieves or some willfully destructive person had purposely sent a car into
the river he ran to the police station to give the alarm. The police were on the scene
in less than five minutes after the accident occurred but it was an hour before the
body was recovered. The car had turned almost completely over in the fall and, while
the front wheels were sunk in the mud there was not sufficient depth of water to
immerse the entire car, the rear wheels being above the water. A rope was tied to
these and the car dragged to the dock where the discovery of the tragedy was made.
The body was recovered by Policemen Dufel and Douglas and immediately removed to the
Pfeffer undertaking rooms, as the man was beyond human aid.
A search of the body made after its recovery resulted in finding a number of letters,
automobile contract books, membership cards of the orders to which the man belonged,
a pocket knife, watch and a small amount of change.
Familiar With Streets
Schwandt has been in the garage business here for about seven years and was familiar
with all the streets. Last night was extremely bad for driving, there being a heavy
mist and, combined with the poor light at Eleventh street, probably confused Schwandt,
who, from the snail’s pace at which he was going, appears to have been uncertain as
to whether he was on the right street or not. A boat near the slip probably increased
the confusion of the man although the cause of the accident will never be known.
Heart Failure the Cause?
From circumstances attending the accident there is believed to be a possibility that
Schwandt was the victim of a heart attack before the car went off the dock. The
statement of the lone witness that the car was proceeding very slowly and did not
change its speed would indicate that the driver was not feeding it was (sic).
Schwandt’s familiarity with the streets also supports this theory, as it seems
unreasonable that he would not have discovered that he was on the wrong street if he
had been conscious of where the car was going. There were two small abrasions on the
head, neither of which would cause death, it is said. Coroner Kemper said no post
mortem had been held, the case being clearly one of accident.
Wife Out of Town
News of the death came as a terrible shock to Mrs. Schwandt, who had been ill since
last December, and who, on Monday of this week, accompanied by her three-year-old
daughter, left for a visit with her parents at Antigo.
William Schwandt was born in Newton, November 24, 1882, and would have reached forty
years at his next anniversary. He was married fifteen years ago at Antigo to Miss
Caroline Stage and the family returned here to take up their home at Newton. Seven
years ago they moved to this city, when they opened a garage business in which they
have continued, erecting a new building on Commercial street, a few years ago. Besides
the widow, who returned here today from Antigo, two children, Edna, aged 13, and
Lorraine, aged 3, survive. The mother, Mrs. R. C. Behnke, Western avenue, one sister,
Mrs. William Bubholz, Reedsville, three half brothers, Otto H. Behnke, Edwin C. Behnke
and Walter Behnke, all of this city, and a half sister, Mrs. Esther Stecker of
Manitowoc Rapids, also survive him.
Deceased was a member of the Equitable Fraternal Union and the local aerie of Eagles.
The funeral arrangements have not been completed and will be announced later.
Manitowoc Herald News, May 19, 1922 P. 1
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Contest Schwandt Case
Insurance companies are said to be contesting the claim of Mrs. Caroline Schwandt
for the death of her husband William Schwandt who met death when he drove his car
into the river at the foot of South Eleventh street last spring. Schwandt was
employed by the Behnke Auto Co. which carried insurance in the Aetna company. It is
reported that the company will claim that Schwandt was not on duty and in his regular
work when the accident happened. Schwandt had taken prospective purchasers of a car
from the Behnke garage to their home on the south side and was returning when he met
death due, it is believe to a rain storm which was raging…
Manitowoc Herald News, October 12, 1922 P. 1
********
In the case of Caroline Schwandt, involving the death of her husband, William
Schwandt, as a result of an accident in which he drove into the river at the
foot of South Eleventh street, a settlement was agreed to between the interested
parties and the settlement as approved by the commission. The amount was not made
public…
Manitowoc Herald News, October 19, 1922 P. 1
(NOTE: Referring to a claim for compensation for death under the Wisconsin
Workingmen’s Compensation law which was taken up by the State Industrial
Commission on October 18.)
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[William Schwandt/bur. 05-21-1922/cause: accidental drowning]
(NOTE: His stone reads d. 1923)