The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1890-10-06
He Left the Safety Switch Open
at Butler Friday
Night.
Brakeman Nixon Testifies that Short
Opened the Switch Which Resulted
In Killing Engineer Mase.

VA q OcI4Ou6 Cu6IR0, Gue coroner jury yes
terday finding that the accident at Butte
on Friday night caused by an open switel
was due to criminal carelessness upon tn
part of Short. After the jury rendered tn
verdict at the court house Coroner Rockmal
turned Short over to Sheriff Jefferis. Tn
witnesses who were examined yesterda,
were unanimous in their testimony tina
there was no light on the switch and that i
there had been one there the accident coull
have been avoided.
Marshal Nixon, Shorts brakeman on thu
freight train bound from Missoula to Hell
ena, gave direct testimony to the effect that
Short Is the man who opened the switch
His testimony is: Our train broke in two
in the tunnel. We tried to back her up and
couple together, but the train was too heavy
for the engine and we could not get to-
Rether. We came down to Butler with the
front part and put her on the ,side-track on
| the left of the main line. cut
the engine off and took it out
said to back it up and put it in on the safe
ty switch and did so. I closed the switch
after me and put the lock in the keeper OF
the switch and then went to the telegraph
Office after Short. was there twenty OF
twenty-five minutes when Short came out
and followed him. He said, Go down and
out and come down on the head end of the
train and I'll let HIM out there Short
went right across the track and opened the
switch and said to me, Fly down and take
all the retainers down back of the furniture
cars on the head end.' ] did 80 and as
went down I told the engineer that Short
wanted him to back up and he said there
Was not room tn clear down khoro ho1-
lowed and told Short they would not clea'.
He gave me rough answer and said. Go
and see." looked and didn't think there
was room. came back and went to
the telegraph Office and asked Short what
he was going to do. He was mad and
neer and he had been jawing over orders
and he was mad because the engineer
wouldn't 90 up the hill without orders.
About the time he stepped out OF the Office
the passenger was coming down the hill.
As came on the platform Short said:
senRer went by the platform and ran into
the switch. ran down to the wreck and
heard man hollering. ran into the fire.
man OF No. 2 and pulled him out of the hot
water. He asked, Where is Frank? Then
] heard another man below me twenty or
thirty feet and found Mase lying in a pool
OF water that came from the engine. I am
positive there was no light on the switch.
We got to Butler at 10 p. m. never saw
Short any more that night"
Engineer T. B. Manner who lives In
Helena, testified that he was on the safety
switch with his engine, No. 485. He says:
about 1880 p. m. engine No. 1873 headed
in on %. No. passenger came down the
main line about II o'clock and the switch
being thrown on the safety track that let
No. in on the safety track, striking engine
4a3 IN the tank. driving her ahead and she
struck engine 1856. I was in my engine at
the time. Ordinarily, engineers are to obey
with the rules and regulations, or when We
think danger is likely to follow orders of
his, then we take the safe course and look
for orders from headquarters" He was
asked. Suppose the conductor holds the
road BY. having it TAGGED, is it the duty of
the engineer to obey the orders to move
He rsplied: 'tIf the engineer is satisfied
that the road is tagged he should obey.
But it he is not satisfied he should ask for
orders from headquarters"
"Mho: e, duty is it to look after the
1.-THE conductor"
after the collision got down of my en-
CINE at once and told my fireman to 90 over
on the other side. Whereupou he gave me
his white light and lit one for himself or
took it of the engine. The first man met
was Engineer CROMWELL, and he asked mo
i had seen F B. Masses fireman of No. 2.
to pieces, and dying Invent to Mase where
he laid, about forty feet away from his en-
CINE: raised his head, he looked at
me, but did not speak. think he tried to
speak but could not. He died in about
twenty-eight minutes. There was q lamp
at the switch, but no light in it. Il was
about ten O'Clock when I noticed it.
He was asked whether the accident could
have been avoided if there had been light
at the switch. to which he replied yes.
The other railroad men who were present
at the accident testified that there was no
Light at the switch, and that the accident
could have been avoided if light had been
there: The jury, in their verdict, censure
the night operator at Butler, ]. A. Hogan,
for not keeping light on the switch. The
i1rymen were: j. N. Craig, F.. E. Theme,
Thomas Conlon, Fred s. Lincoln. John II.
Rhoads and Ed. Needham.