Little Arania Max was the first person killed by an automobile in St. Paul, according to the Minnesota Historical Society’s “This Day in Minnesota History.” The story of her tragic end made the front page of the Minneapolis Tribune. It’s a dramatic account, rich with detail and good quotes but marred by typos and inconsistencies.

CHILD KILLED
BY AN AUTO

ARANIA MAX OF ST. PAUL, AGED
8, STRUCK DOWN BY H. IR-
VINE’S MACHINE

IS RELEASED TILL THIS MORN-
ING – WOMEN SWOON AND
MOTHER IS HYSTERICAL

Arania Max, the eight-year-old daughter of Peter Max, 661 Hague Avenue, St. Paul, was run down by an automobile at St. Albans street and Selby avenue last evening and instantly killed.

The chaffeur was Horace Irvine, son of Thomas Irvine of 673 Dayton avenue, and in the automobile with him were William Ernst and Miss Allen and Miss Fitzpatrick. The little girl’s death was caused by a fracture at the base of the skull.

Mr. Irwin had recently purchased the automobile at a cost of $2,500 [more than $59,000 in 2008 dollars] and last evening invited his friends for a ride.

They had not been out long when they drove down Selby avenue after a spin on Summit avenue and other streets on the hill.

Witnesses say that the automobile with its aristocratic occupants drove several times up and down Selby avenue on that portion of the street paved with asphalt and at one time had a brush with a machine of lesser proportions.

CONFUSED BY CAR.

Mr. Irvine was sitting proudly with both hands on the steering apparatus when St. Albans street was approached. Two little girls, Arania Max and Sadie Mundt, of the same age, were seen playing in the street just below St. Albans.

One of the girls was on the sidewalk while the Max girl was on the street car tracks. As the ponderous vehicle was approaching them the Mundt girl called to her companion.

“Come back, Arania, here comes the automobile!”

A street car was approaching at the same time and the Max child stood in the center of the street somewhat bewildered and then started to dash back again to her playmate. The chaffeur steered his machine close to the curb in an effort to avert an accident and again tooted the horn a couple of times.

It was too late.

The little girl raised her hands above her head and at the same instant she was struck in the right side by the body of the automobile.

She fell face downwards on the pavement and broke her neck, while the vehicle passed over her body and crossed to the opposite side of the street to avoid a second collision with a street car.

Mr. Irvine immediately stopped the vehicle and returned to where the corpse of the child lay in the street in a pool of blood that oozed from her mouth.

The sight shocked the ladies in the automobile, and Miss Allen swooned before she could be assisted to the ground by Willie Ernst. Mr. Irvine was overcome by the sight and stood motionless in the street.

Arania gazed at him, gave on gasp and expired just as Dr. A.P. Kearn reached the scene two minutes later.

MOTHER HYSTERICAL.

The body of the child was gently lifted from the street and rested on the green sward that skirts the sidewalk. Shortly afterwards a weeping mother came and became hysterical as her dead daughter was being bourne to the home, followed by several hundred people who had gathered quickly after the distressing accident.

Mr. Irvine and Mr. Ernest went to the Central police station and informed Capt. Hanft of the accident. They were detained at police headquarters for some time, while an effort was being made to locate County Attorney Kane, who was to decide what course should be pursued in regard to the chaffeur and his companion. Mr. Kane could not be found, and it was finally decided to allow the young men to return to their homes on condition that they report at the station this morning.

MR. IRVINE DISTRESSED.

Mr. Irvine, when asked about the accident, stated that he was so much distressed by the accident that he could not explain the affair very well.

“It was purely accidental,” he said. “I blew the horn at the street crossing and twice again when I was approaching the children. I do not know which part of the machine struck her first.

“I tried my best to avoid the accident, but the little girl ran right in front of me, became bewildered, tried to turn back and fell in front of the vehicle. The wheels of the machine passed over the girl’s body. I do not know exactly what speed I was going.”

Willie Ernst said that he would not state the rate of speed at which the machine was going because he did not know. He said that he did not think it was very fast.

SADIE TELLS OF DEATH.

Sadie Mundt, the 9-year-old companion of the Max girl, who lives with her parents at 656 Selby avenue, said in regard to the accident:

“We were playing wood tag. Arania rant into the street way from me. I saw the automobile coming and I shouted:

“ ‘Arania, come back. See the automobile!’

“It wasn’t going fast. Just like a street car. Arania ran towards me and she was knocked down by the wagon just near the sidewalk.”

E.J. Sullivan, who was sitting outside his store, 676 Selby avenue, where the accident occurred, corroborates the story of the Mundt girl. He says that after running into the middle of the street that she was called back by her playmate and was caught before she reached the curb and mowed down.

Oscar Bergstrom in a car in front of the Pence Automobile Co. on S. Third St., Minneapolis, in about 1903. (Photo courtesy mnhs.org)

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