The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-09-28
HIS OWN DEATH
Conductor Gregory Killed While
Making a Coupling.
THE FINDING OF THE JURY
Many Witnesses Examined by Coroner
Tremblay in Investigation of the
a Accident at Feeley's
Station.

Coroner Tremblay held an inquest at
Sherman's undertaking rooms yesterday
morning to investigate the accident In
which Conductor j. c. Gregory lost his
life while coupling cars on the oregon
ShOrt Linz at Feeley's station Monday
afternoon. None Of the witnesses KAN
ined saw the accident. and IL could not
therefore be positively ascertained how
81 occurred. but from the fact that the
coupling the deceased was making at
the time he was killed was between two
cars, one Of which was equipped with
what is known as the Miller hook.
which necessitates the use Of great care
TO make a coupling safely, II was the
general opinion Gregory stood up 10
make the coupling. instead Of getting
down and making il from below, as Is
the custom with this particular coup
ling. and got caught. The jury accept
ed this version and rendered a verdict
holding the deceased responsible for his
own death.
w. b.. whyer. engineer Of the train,
was the first witness. He testified that
the train arrived at Feely at 2:40 o'clock
in the afternoon, and they were engaged
in doubling in on the sidetrack to let
the passenger train pass. He put 10
cars on the Y and went back 10 get q
cars and was backing them in on the
passing track when the accident &C.
CURED. Conductor Gregory threw the
switch over and then gave the signal
20 back. THAI was the last witness
saw OF Gregory, and he could not see
where deceased went. About the time
the cars were in the clear on the siding
witness saw Brakeman McFadden run
ming toward the head end and supposed
he was running to throw the switch.
When he got almos to the engine he
s~ignaled To stop and motioned toward
the switch. Witness looked and saw ar
object which turned out TO be the body
of Gregory. The train was barely o
ing at the time Of the accident, the
grade being so heavy il was all the en-
CINE could do to move the cars at all.
Lewis Edwards. the fireman. said he
saw nothing OF the accident and only
saw the body after the accident. Such
circumstances as he knew anything
about he related the same as the pre-
ceding witness.
j. w. Francis. car inspector for the
Oregon Short Line at Silver Bow. testi-
fed that when the train reached Silver
Bow he was given to understand there
had been a wreck and he found some
Of the cars I'm bad order. In examining
the cars between which deceased was
killed he found the drawbars of the
AAt + ~ f. " o. bH'ffA VII NV
drawhead OF one. showing he had been
killed between the drawheads. In Civ
ing his view as TO how the accident hap
pened. the witness said: Il could see
that the Miller hook used on the Cen
tral Pacific ear had passed the common
drawhead Of the q. s. l.. car and caught
the man between the deadwood and end
sill. and in my opinion the nan went in
to make the coupling and he was evil
IDENTIFY caught before ne made the
coupling" The cars between which de-
ceased was killed were in good order at
these ends.
william McFadden. one Of the brake
men. said that i'm putting the q cars
on the passing track they broke in two
n witness got a new link. Deceased
directed witness to hold that section
which had broken off and he would go
in 10 make the coupling. He saw Greg
DRY 60 in to make the coupling and saw
nothing further till he could leave
the cars TO go forward when he saw the
body Of Gregory on the track just as
the switch engine was passing over him.
Witness further said the Miller hook"
used on the Contra Pacific car was a
dangerous thing and was liable to catch
a man any time. but an experienced
man such as Gregory should have gone
on the outer curve 10 make il instead
Of attempting to make the coupling on
the inner curve. Witness could not say
the accident was the fault of deceased.
Experienced men often made mistakes.
Hiram \. Sowle. the other brakeman.
saw deceased throw the switch and sig
nal the engineer to back. and then so
in to make the coupling. Just then the
passenger train came into sight and he
ran back to flag IL and saw nothing
more Of the accident. Witness made a
coupling Of the same cars at Lima.
Dales and at Dillon. He had consider
able difficulty and missed two or three
times, but finally got it. If witness
stood up to make the coupling witness
would regard 1t as carelessness. If he
made 1t from below he could not get
hurt unless he slipped on the rail. When
witness made the coupling he told the
engineer he had a Miller nook coup
ling to make and to be careful.
William Gemmen, agent for the Mon
tana Union and o.. 5. L.. went to the
scene Of the accident and investigated.
He found no evidences of his having
slipped or fallen, and from the circum-
/ stances. supposed the deceased, who had
been experimenting and not conduct
ing for a long time up to very recently.
was a little rusty and forgot and stood
up when he went in to make the coup
ling.
The Jury returned a verdict that said
deceased came TO his death on the Ore.
gon Short Lin railroad at Feeley's sta,
ton on the 26th Of September. 1898
about $50 p. m. in Silver Bow county
Mont. and from the testimony we be.
lieve said accident was the result Of
carelessness on the part Of the de.
ceased"
The BOD will be shipped to Toronto
Canada. fer burial.
Hoi for the Pair.