St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1875-03-12
The Death of Willie C. Fuller.

The Death of Willie C. Fuller
A> We went to press last week. the
news came to Us of the sudden and
dreadful death of Willie &. Fuller. the
only child of VIM. Fuller of this vii
lag. From PARTIES who last SIM him
alive, and from employees of the Pas
>ump>ic and Conn. River road. we have
gathered the following particulars
Nilli"'> position on the Pa>>umpsic
road, WAS baggage master between
Newport and WoodS\illr. on the after
noon express train. Daring the tenn
poIary absence of \. {. Rollins. through
luggage master t" Springfield. Young
Fuller took his place. and the accident
occurred on his second trip. On Thurs
day morning, when the "Short train"
left the Springfield depot for Chic"pcr
Falls, at G:30. Fuller jumped aboard t"
ride to the yard where his train WAS
making up. He did this 81 rs to get
his ear ready. see to the fire. etc. 81 that
when his train backed into the station
he would he all ready to receive the
baggage. This 10y the way. WIS Il
marked characteristic of Willie He
WAS noted for doing his work well and
being truSty IN every place in which he
was put. Several inches of damp snow
had fallen the previous night. and this
short train went out with two engines
and Il snow pillow. and 10y the time
it reached the NaId where the mail
train WAS making up. il WAS going at
UNUSUAL speed. and the air was full of
snow thrown ont 10y the pillow. The
brakeman saw i man preparing t" Jump
from the forward platform of the rear
ear. and warned him not to do it. ~ the
train Was going To" fast. The brake
man went Immediately into the ear. but
ON looking out. SAW that the man had
jumped, but could see nothing of him
in the rear, because the air WAS 80 full
of SNOW. and supposed he had got of
safely. After reaching Chicnpcr june
tinn. some three or four miles, and
barking the train IL little. the body of
Young Fuller fell down from the front
OF the rear truck frame. and was dis
covered 10y Il man about the train No
one there knew who he was, but DIES
patch to Springfield, soon brought up
the officers of the road. who tcndclly
,..,r.l fan, tbn r.u,,inS head Than, ,r,,,,.r
~ laid ont, and accompanied them ON
the afternoon express to White River
Junction, where they were delivered
over to the friends who went down from
this place.
just how Young Fuller WAS killed, is
partly supp">ition, as no one SAW him
fall. Railroad men are generally agreed
upon the main points. Where he
jumped off, there WAS quite an emhank
mcnt of snow thrown out from the
track. and from its appearance Willie
undoubtedly expected to find il soft and
Welding. Instead of that. there had
been rains and thawing weather. and
fallen. was an icy bank as hard as
plank. Jumping from the forward
steps of the rear ear, he struck this ice.
! slipped under the ear, back of the for
ward trucks. and WAS Sco"ped up by
| the brake beam on the rear trucks, and
carried to Chicopce. 1t seems improbable
To some that he could have got in
that position without any eXertion OF
his own; bmt il is not impossible. There
was considerable SHOW and ice inside
the rails, and the truck frames ran very
closely to it. Besides. at the speed the
train was going, there was great suction
beneath the ear. 1t was all done in an
instant of time. Most wonderfully and
most fortunately for the friends, the
body was not manglcd. As the truck
frame came along, it probably struck
the back of his head and right hip,
fiacturing the skull and breaking the
hip. thus killing him Instantly. NJ
other part of his person was injured, al
though the most unfortunate stories tt
the contrary have been circulated 10y
some persons and newspapers. We say
that Just how he was caught and how
killed, is mainly supposition, yet there
are certain things which Indicate pref