Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-03-30
WAS CRUSHED TO DEATH
Thomas Vinscn Brakeman Killed Last
Sunday Whilo He Was Coupling
Car in This City
HE DIED IN THIRTY-FIVE MINUTES
Incxpcrience Claimed to BE the Cause of
His Death-The Coroner Views
The Remains

Last Sunday the train which had ar
rived at this end of the road the pre-
vious day. made an extra trip down
the line, returning to the city in the
evening at about six o'clock. The fine
weather had made the run a pleasant
one, and all were in the best If spirits.
Little thinking that before the days
work was completed one of their num-
Der would have joined the great ma
jority and stand before his Maker in
the world beyond.
After arriving here, the crew, as is
customary, proceeded to makeup the
train for the return trip the following
m orning. 1t was while making coup
ling between the passenger coach and
the water car that Thos. Vinsen re-
ceived his death blow. There appears
to have been no greater amount of
danger in performing this task than
is courted by breakmen every day of
their lives and an eyewitness of
the affair claims that nothing would
have happened in this instance if Vim
sen had not allowed the link to slip
just as he was making the coupling.
AS it was the two cars came within
about four inches of each other, catch
ing him between the breast aud should
ers, crushing him in a frightful man
ner. When taken out by his compan-
ions he was unconscious and never
spoke up to the time he expired, some
forty-fve minutes latter He was con-
veyed to the caboose and doctor sent
for. DR.. Donovan being away from
home at the time, the services of DR..
Spencer, who has been visiting the
city lately in the interest of the Kick
apoo medicine company were made use
of. 1t was plainly seen from the first
that the poor fellow was beyond hui
man aid and all that could be done
was to make his last moments as easy
as possible. The deceased had only
made three OF four trips on this branch
and had recently been laid off some
time by the amputation of two crushed
fingers from his left hand. Little ap-
pears to be known Of him and very
meagre information could be gained
from papers found on his person.
Pending enquiry by the company for
relatives of the dead man, and notify
ing the county coroner, DR.. Archer, of
Milton, of the affair, the body was
left at the depot.
Monday morning a dispatch was
received by Agent Stevenson from
Supt Evans to have three disinterested
parties examine the condition of the
cars and give their opinion as to cause
of accident. Messrs Fleming, Evans
and Mclean, of this city, consented
to act and after going over the de-
tails of the occurrence concluded that
no blame could be attached to either
the company or the employees, it being
their opinion that the accident result
ed from inexperience and neglect on
the part of the deceased. In the even
ing DR.. Archer, Of Milton, county coro-
ner, came up and after viewing the re-
mains concluded it was unnecessary
to hold an inquest. Every effort of
the company to obtain a clue to any
relatives Of the poor fellow proving
fruitless it was decided that his re-
mains be inferred in this city, the COM
pany bearing the expense.
NOTES.
Jos Murray, engineer: would have
given $500 to see the poor fellow get
up and walk around after he was lifted
from between the cars.
Pastor Robeson:-I recognized in
the dead breakman stranger who at
tended the evening service at the M.
E. church the previous Sunday and
spoke at the fellowship meeting after
wards.
Harvey Mathisen:-That poor fel-
low who was killed last Sunday even
ing was on the train I came up on a
few days ago. I tried to induce him
to take an accident policy on the North
western Benevolent society but he put
| it off.
Mrs. Hooey:-I was a passenger on
the train Sunday evening and while
in conversation with the deceased
breakman learned that he comes from
Fort Perry Ont, and that he is ac-
quainted with several parties there
that [ know.