The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-12
He MET INSTANT DEATH
Dennis Toomey Run Over by a
B., A. g. P. Car.
TRYING TO STEAL A RIDE
Was Lsaning Out of the Car When the
Train Slackened It's Speed With
a Jar, Throwing Him TO
the Ground.

! While attempting to steal a ride to
Butte yesterday morning Dennis
Toomey fell off coal car on the T., A.
& r. railway and Was almost instantly
killed by being run over BY one of the
cars. The accident occurred at about
$50 O'Clock in the morning, just oppo-
site the Montana Union coal bunkers.
While no one actually saw him fall off
the car, the evidence adduced at the
coroner'S inquest made the cause of
death quite plain
The train on which Toomey was try
ing to beat his way was il very long
one, containing 20 or more cars. The
gondola from which he fell was one Of
the rearmost cars. When he was found
he was still alive and attempted to
speak, but could not He died in a very
few seconds. His injuries consisted in
d bruise on the back Of his head,
broken leg and a dark blue mark across
his chest, where the car wheels had
passed over his body. A remarkable
thing about the case is that the skin
was not even broken at the point where
the wheels crushed him to the rail-
/ One of the brakemen Immediately no
tilted Coroner Hardenbrook. who went
at once to the scene Of the accident, aud
after taking note of the surroundings,
he ordered the body to be removed t.
Ehrets undertaking rooms, where 1t
now is. No papers relative to the man
past history were found upon the body,
neither was there anything Of value
about the clothing.
Toomey had been in Montana for
about two months, having come directly
to this state from Fall River. Mass,
where he has wife and three children.
He was born at Beerhaven mines.
County Cork, Ireland, and was about
IS years of age He had a widowed
mother. who still lives in the old coun-
try. Recently Toomey had been EN-
AL Iah .aI he al
pany's dam, west of the city. and he
told one of his friends that he had $50
coming to him from the water company.
He had just secured work at the tun-
mel which is being driven through the
hills north Of town, his object in going
TO Butte was to obtain some clothing
which he had in that city.
A peculiar circumstance about the at
fair is that Toomey. just few hours
before his death. had met man who
had been born and raised in the same
town in Ireland whence Toomey came.
This man is Quinlan Early. The two
had not seen each other for II years
prior to yesterday morning and Mr..
Early was greatly affected by the sud-
den death of his newly-found friend.
At 4 o'clock Coroner Hardenbi ook held
an inquest in Judge Donoghue's court,
The jury Of inquisition was composed of
II. Redmond. Thomas Boland, ;. {.
Haynes, l.. Walsh, Archie Neal and L.
Il. Mcdaniel
The first witness was E. MerWin, con-
ductor of the train from which Toomey
fell. lie knew nothing of the accident
from personal knowledge and could
only repeat what had been told to him
by others. He was a quarter of a mile
from the place where the accident oc-
cured
f. a. Rivers. a brakeman on the b..
& p testified that as he was making
preparations to drop his caboose down
onto the train he saw the man climb
into one Of the ears lie paid no atten-
ton IL him after that, and the next
he saw Of the man he was under tie
train and all the four wheels of the
gondola had passed over his body. He
notified the chief of police of the acct
dent at once. Questioned by a juror
Rivers said he did not know whether
there were any bones broken or no.
The man WAS still alive when he ran
TO him, and he tried to speak. but could
not The wheels had passed over foam-
ey's chest. The train vas running very
slowly and when il came to a stop II
permit the caboose To be attached the
stop was made as easy a. il was possi-
bic 10 do.
Frank Gray another brakeman. tes-
tilted he noticed the man standing in
the coal car. which VAS about three car
lengths from where he stood. Like RiY-
cfs his attention was Tor a moment also
distracted and when he again looked
the man was on the rails. The Wit
ness saw Toomey looking over The side
Of the car. as If searching Ion an object
on the ground below. or for 4 place to
step off the car. He did not sec the car
pass over him. The car was an ordi-
nary coal ear, and its weight WAS
about -, 900 or %, 900 pounds. When the
witness ran UP to the man he was still
alive. and gave two or three convulsye
gasps. He saw some blood on the
ground at the point Where the head lay,
but was not aware of any other in
juries He thought. however, that the
mans leg was broken, for when he
lifted the body out from under the train
and laid it To one side of the track, one
of the legs dangled as though it We're
broken.
John Kelly. a laborer, had been ae-
nuainted with Toomey for about two
months He had worked with him at
the dam. He saw him yesterday morn
ing a the boarding house and at a sa-
loon. where Toomey had told the Wit
ness that he was going to try To catch
a train and go to Butte to get his
clothes He did not have any money
Wherewith t. pay his fare.
If Butte. had known Toomey i years
ago in Ireland. He had not seen him
since until yesterday morning. He had
told Early that he had been working
at the dam and had so coming To him.
also that he had secured work "a the
tunnel and was on his way to Butte To