The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-07-27
THE SUICIDE OF CATO
No Blame Attached to the Rail-
road Men.
VERDICT OF THE JURY
All the Horrible Details of Gatto's Mad
Act of Self Destruction Is In
vestigated by
Tremblay.

1
that the death of Giuseppe Cato, who
was run over and killed by a train on
the b., A. & p. railroad last Saturday
morning. was a case of deliberate sui
eide. after listening to a recital of all
the horrible details, as related by eye
witnesses, of Gatto's manner of loosen
ing of the shackles that bound him TO
life on thlse earth. The railroad company
and the train crew We're absolved from
all blame, as it was quite apparent no
human agency could have saved the
mans life when he threw himself in
front of the running train. The inquest
was held at Sherman's undertaking par
lors at 10 o'clock in the morning. a
large number Of witnesses We're examin-
ed and all their stories agreed very
closely as to the material facts.
Engineer Albert f.. Jewall. who pulled
the train, was the first witness. He said
he left Butte with the 8 o'clock passen-
ger train on the b.. A. * =. for Ana
conda, at the usual time. AS he reached
the cut near the Centennial brewery,
southeast of the city, he was running at
a moderate rate of speed n Whistled
as usual for the curve. Sitting on the
bank Of the curve he saw a man when
he was some distance away, but there
was nothing peculiar in his actions and
iA' AAhN ~ ~ Wa
ness q terrible act of self-destruction.
Suddenly, when about 20 feet away, he
saw the man rise and step toward the
track. In an instant he pitched head
long in front of the engine. He was
startled and gave a yell. He Immediate
ly applied the air and with such sud
denness that the drivers were blocked,
causing them to slide, and he was
obliged to release the brakes and reap
ply the air. The train came to a stop
within five car lengths. He went back
and the suicide was found cut in w
and pieces of the limbs and flesh were
strung along the track.
+. N. Mcpherson, the fireman. said the
train was running about eight miles an
hour. He was putting in a fire and did
not see the man throw himself in front
of the train, but heard the engineers
Mortified yell and supposed a head-end
collision was coming. Looking out, he
saw nothing and, asking the engineer
the cause of his startled exclamation,
was told a man had been run over. The
witness went back and helped remove
the body from the rails and to pick up
the pieces.
ID. Boyle, living in the vicinity of the
Centennial brewery, was driving toward
the city. William Smith was in the
wagon with him. They stopped at the
railroad crossing for the train to pass,
upon hearing the whistle for the curve.
AS they sat waiting they saw a man
sitting at the side of the track. about
200 feet away. As the train approached
the spot where he sat they saw the man
get up, and when the train was within a
few feet of him they saw him deliberate
ly prepare for the leap and saw him
plunge down across the rails in front
of the train. In the opinion of the wit
ness there was no doubt of the mans
intention to destroy himself, and it was
simply impossible to stop the train
without killing the man after his in
tention was OWNED.
william Smith. the companion of the
preceding witness. related the circum-
stances in almost the same language.
James Dillon. in charge of BERT Bros
milk ranch, near the scene was the
next witness. He aid that at Z o'clock
i'm the morning, when he went out for
fuel to start a fire, he saw a man walk
ing west on the railroad track. He paid
no attention, as Ii was a common oc-
currence. Later he had occasion to go
out to see If any passengers got off and
was a witness to the suicide. He de-
scribed the circumstances in conformity
with the statements of the preceding
witnesses.
Louis Farris. a 14-year-old boy, saw
Cato walking up and down the track
for half an hour before the train came
along. The man acted very ~nervously
and constantly looked i'm the direction
from which the train would come, IL
walking that way, or would turn and
look back if going in the opposite direc-
tion. Finally the train came and he
witnessed the suicidal act.
Savin Lisa, who translated the note
found on the suicide from the Italian,
in which it was written. took the stand
corrected an error in the translation as
published at the time of the suicide. He
said instead of the note reading: Il an
tired of being prosecuted this way II
read. II am tired of proceeding longer
this way" meaning the suicide was tired
of living longer as he had been doing
The witness said Cato had frequently
threatened to commit suicide.
Several other witnesses related tbs
story of the suicide. but gave no new
! facts, and the jury rendered its verdict
aS stated