OBIT: Howard S. MAZURIE, 1899, Altoona, Blair County, PA

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FATAL RUNAWAY
The Victim Was Howard S. Mazurie, of This City.

  About 2.30 a.m. Saturday Howard S. Mazurie, of 208 East Fourth 
avenue, was killed in a runaway accident on the Buckhorn road nearly 
ten miles from Altoona.  In company with Thomas M. McKee, of 126 East 
Sixth avenue, he borrowed Jacob Lathero's horse and wagon and started 
for the mountainous district --- Cambria county at 7.30 p.m. --- to 
pick berries.
  The story of the fatal accident is best told in Mr. McKee's own 
words, as follows.  "We drove as far as the Buckhorn when it commenced 
to rain.  We stopped at the hotel, putting our horse and wagon in the 
barn, and lying down to sleep.  When the rain ceased it was about 2 
o'clock in the morning and we hitched --- and started on our way.  We 
had gone about three miles.  I was walking --- eight or ten feet in 
front of the --- carrying a torch to light the way as it was very dark 
in the woods.  We were going down a steep hill when something 
frightened the horse.  It may have been a snake or probably Mazurie's 
foot slipped off the brake lever and he fell --- the horse.  All I know 
about it that he called out to me, 'Look out!'  --- just then the horse 
struck me.  I was knocked down and the wagon passed over me.  Although 
I was dazed by the --- of the blow I had received I remember that I 
heard the horse and wagon going down the road and I called out, 'Maz, 
hold on to him.'
  I immediately started after the wagon --- thirty or forty feet from 
where I was --- I came upon a dark object in the road.  It was Mazurie.  
He said faintly to me as I knelt down beside him, 'Lean me up against 
the bank.'  I did as he requested, and getting the torch which had gone 
out when I was knocked down -- and it did not take me long to --- that 
he was badly hurt.  He had a --- gash on the side of his head which --- 
freely.  I made a pillow out of my --- for his head and watched beside 
him until he died.  He expired about 20 minutes after the accident.  As 
soon as I knew life was extinct I started to hunt up somebody to take 
care of the remains.  Three hundred yards away I found a house and 
knocked on the door.  An old lady responded, but she said she was the 
only person about the dwelling, but that there was another house 
further down the road where there were three men.  I hurried to the 
place she directed and aroused the family.  A man came back with me to 
where Mazurie was lying and hoping that he might still have some life 
in him we examined him again but he was dead.  The man said he would 
take care of the body and offered to hitch up and drive me to town but 
I, hardly conscious of what I was doing, said it would take too long 
and that I would walk to town.  I started about 4.30 a.m. and ran the 
first two miles at the top of my speed.  Then I almost dropped with 
exhaustion and had to go slower.  I was on the Seventh street bridge as 
the ten minutes to 7 o'clock whistle blew.  I met Mr. Jacob Brandt and 
told him what had happened.  He said he would drive out after the 
remains.  I then notified Deputy Coroner H. W. McCartney."
  After the deputy coroner was notified he telephones to the coroner of 
Cambria county, telling him of the accident.  The latter told Mr. 
McCartney to go on with the case.  The deputy coroner, accompanied by 
Charles Brandt and George Carolus drove to the scene of the accident 
and brought back the body to Altoona, where it was placed in charge of 
Undertakers Hickey & O'Neil.
  Mr. McKee started out to hunt up the horse as soon as the body was 
taken care of.  The people in Dysart told him that the animal and 
vehicle had passed quietly through the town, keeping right on in the 
middle of the road.  At a farm house one and a half miles beyond 
Dysart, four miles from the place where Mr. Mazurie was killed, the 
horse and wagon were found by Mr. McKee.  There was not a strap of the 
harness broken nor was the wagon damaged in the slightest.  The berry 
cans in the back part of the wagon were not even upset.  The seat had 
fallen off when the horse bolted and was recovered.
  Mr. McKee was so wrought up over the accident that he did not know 
that he was injured.  When he woke up yesterday morning, however, he 
was so sore and stiff he could hardly walk.  His left hand is bruised, 
and his right elbow and left leg badly lacerated.  Neither Mr. McKee 
nor Mr. Mazurie had tasted liquor, so their misfortune cannot be laid 
to drunkenness.
  Dr. Blose made an examination of the body and pronounced the cause of 
death to be concussion of the brain.  Whether he sustained his fatal 
injury in falling to the ground or by the horse tramping on him is not 
known.
  Howard S. Mazurie was born in Philadelphia October 18, 1845.  He was 
married at Lebanon to Miss Mary Labe, September 14, 1870, and has 
resided in Altoona most of the time since his marriage.  He was 
formerly employed in the glue room of the Pennsylvania railroad shops, 
but for the last two years has been working in the planing mill.  He is 
survived by his wife and two children - Mary and Norman, at home, also 
by one brother, Frank, of Minnesota.  The funeral will take place this 
afternoon at 4 o'clock.  Services will be conducted at the house, 208 
East Fourth avenue, by Rev. Lewis Robb.  The remains will be interred 
in Fairview cemetery.

Morning Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Monday, August 14, 1899

1880 Altoona, Blair County census -
Howard Mazurie, 33  
Mary M. Mazurie, 30  
Sarah L. Mazurie, 7

1900 Altoona Ward 8, Blair County census -
Mary Mazurie, 51, Wd, 5 children, 2 living 
Mary Mazurie, 17