Daily capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1896-1899, 1897-04-16
TRAMP
Killed By the Overland Iraln'
The Body Mas FsafBlIy hUtilatsd--
Coronsrs Inquest Today

4 tramp ub0se name and residence,
4 suy. are unknown. net cIlel
5asth sb01t 11;45 O'clOck AS nignl
r. ATTEMPTING % bOard the the S0lln
rC-r5 California overland.
Tuis trzi Z j. due a. salem AZ II 2
m b1t IN last night Wss ayJlL =
-1f1utes late in reaching THIS city az
- stsrtsd cut quite lively from lAt
5euCt. Shortly before the arTlFaI q
~ overIsrd The north oo1nd MO,
night freight arrived 10 the c!ty az
1ss OBLIGED 10 side-tracE that the oe-
1sTad CverIsud might have cleal
49,. Accordingly she pulled 10 On
re switch track lying alonE-
sfJe the ma iu track. the engine Del.s
Stationed almost opposite the Qep1L;;
When the Overland stared
ont from the station. Fireman Q
WrFEen Of the frelghL
saw man spring from benlna 2
freight car and swing un0eI tLt
brakes Of one Of the passenger c'5acl -
# the rapidly out going Overland =.
point about 80 feet east of the oepyL.
He gave the matter nOfuTtner Lnoug
and presently received the oToel ~
take the main track. On approach
ing the north end Of the 20 foot tres
tie located lust south Of the pasSe o.
ger depOt, Fireman McEWen ah0
Brakeman Avery noticed a human
body living face-dOwnWard between
the wooden guard rail and the steel
rail. The train was immeo latel!
stopped and an arm Of the uhIofIt
nate man was removed from the RAJ!
without otherwise disturbing tne le,
mains after which the train coDIlnt,5,I
% the depot when Coroner A VI.
Cough was notified of the anaIT:
That gentleman aTTiYed snort! az
erWards aud took charge Of the re-
mains, removing them % MS ul1sI-
taking parlors on State street foT the
purpose of conducting an inquest
today TO ascertain the identity ot the
unfortunate man and tO inquire into
the cause Of his death and Il any
blame should be attached 70 the FaII-
road company.
The body was found at a point near
the center Of the trestle. lying flre-
downward aud fearfuIly mutiIa'@1
His right arm was broken below f..
elbow and the left shoulder had -H-
tained "a fracture: the right leg W.
torn from the socket at the hip. IN.
left leg was broken and the man
head was severely bruised. having
evidently been crushed By striking
the ties.
The man was noticed about the
depot before the arrival Of the over
land. He had the appearance OF
being a SWede between 30 and 10 years
Of age, having light hair and a
mustache. The man did not have the
appearance Of the average hobo, but
more that Of a hard-wOrking man.
vino was undoubtedly in search Of
work and from the lack Of funds was
obliged to steal rides on trains. The
man was comfortably we'll dressed. !
Although his clothing was dust |
stained from travel. it had every ap-
Pc arance Of having been but recently !
purchased.
There we're no papers or other |
articles about the mans clothing TO /
establish his identity. The train |
men on the freight train we're sub |
pHnRd last night to be in attendance |
at a coroner's inquest TO be held at |
p. N. today.
In all probabilities the unfortunate |
man 10 attempting to swing under |
the bottom Of the car and obtain a |
seat on the breakbeam or in endeayOr- |
ing TO catch onto the steps of the
blind baggage, made a mis-step and |
fell beneath the wheels Of the cars.
Indications are that the man was
dragged for several yards. This the.
ory is supported from the fact that his
hat was found about 100 feet further
down the track from the point at
which the remains were.s .sfound and
also from the fact that one shoe
was also found several yards distant
from the mutilated body. The condi-
tlon OF the loose earth lying alongside
the track indicated that he had been
dragged over il while blood-staiped
ties for distance Of several feet also
this theory.
THE CORONER's INQUEST.
coroner A. NJ. Clough empaneled a
Jury and proceeded to conduct an in
guest before the following Jury: Earl |,
Race, c. NJ. Parmeter, W. Ii. Riddell.
a. r McAtee, L. Ostranderand NJ, Z
chase. Earl Race was chosen fore
man OF the deliberative body aud the
inquest was begun,
Inc hrst witness called was Con-
19ctor Nash, Of the freight train.
whose testimony agreed in detail 10 !
nose given above. There was every
evidence TO indicate that the man had {
been dragged abOu 60 feet. Was nos {
.tlve the man was killed by the pas {
'enRer train. FN9 !
george Avery, brakeman on the S
relght train in charge Of Conductor !
Nash was not called. sMr. Avery
,1orrooorated the statements made by =
Nash. He noticed a man !
'ass In front OF the freight train and a
Ittempt TO board the overland, '
ROBERT Z. McEwen, fireman on the {
felght train, was the third witness ! s