The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-03-25
HIS SKULL WAS CRUSHED
William Turpin Was Killed by q
Meaderville Car.
FELL ACROSS THE TRACK
He Appeared to Be Intoxicated When
the Accident Occurred-Paid No At
tention to Warrington Couldn't
Be Stopped in Time.

William Turpin, man who followed
the occupation Of. as commonly termed
in Butte, swamper meaning the porter
of saloon, was struck by trolley car
of the Meaderville line in East Park
street, near Wyoming, yesterday morn
ing about o'clock, and so terribly in
/ jured that he died three hours later at
Murray & Freunds hospital, whittier
he was taken for medical succor.
Several people witnessed the accident
whose accounts, though they agree in
most of the particulars, differ in some
| essential details. A composite relation
Of the different stories Of the circum-
| stances Immediately surrounding the ac-
cident would be to this effect: Meader-
| willie car No. Z, in charge of Conductor
| William Semmer, and handled by Mo-
| torman Frank Nelson, left the corner of
Main and Park streets at five minutes
| after O'Clock, five minutes later than
| schedule time. When the car reached a
point about 1875 feet west of Wyoming
street, or about in front of No. SO East
Park street, Turpin was seen to leave
the curb on the north side of the street
and start across the street. He had the
| appearance of being intoxicated, and
walked slowly with his head down and
| apparently obivious to everything GO
ing on in the street. The car was some
40 feet away from Turpin when Motor
man Nelson first saw him. and as the
man kept walking straight toward the
| track and did not seem aware of the
| proximity of the car. Nelson rang his
gong Violently, but did not Immediately
attempt 10 stop. for about 10 feet more,
when Nelson observed Turpin did not
heed the warning. Then he opened the
| sand box and applied his brakes, ring
| ing his bell as hard as he could. When
| the car was not more than six or eight
feet away Turpin stepped on the north
rail of the track, and Motorman Nell
son yelled, 'looll out" and exerted him.
self to his utmost to stop the car, but it
was too late. Turpin took a step or two
more and was almost on the south rail
when the car struck him. He turned
around staggered step forward and
fell across the track with his head to
the north. The pilot board caught him,
and pushed him along 10 or u feet, gill
he was finally rolled underneath, and the
wheels coming upon him, the car
| stopped.
Quickly a crowd gathered around.
Sheehy and Rezek Turpin was still
conscious, and recognized officer
Schmid Hello, Billy" said he. as the
car was backed off and he saw the
officer who inquired how badly he was
hurt Il guess I'm done for" was his
reply. While the other officers made
4 him as comfortable as they could,
Officer Schmid summoned the ambu-
lance from Murray & Freund's hospital.
1t soon arrived, and the injured man
| was taken to the hospital. 1t was found
his skull has been crushed, also one
shoulder, the limbs broken in several
places, and his entire body terribly
e,,ffn tlIy ftn1 bo
shock. and was soon unconscious The
hospital surgeons worked diligently
over the unfortunate man, but he was
too badly injured to survive, and died
about three hours after arriving at the
hospital
Frank Niva was a witness to the &C
cident. He said he saw Turpin cross
ing the street. and saw the car coming,
he thought at greater rate of speed
than ordinarily. He did not hear any
bell ring, but heard Motorman Nelson's
cutlery. Turpin seemed to be walking
straight, and did not seem drunk.
The observations of William Fl. Ev
ans, another eye witness, were the same
| as Niva's. He thought the car was go
ing 10 orN2 miles an hour, but that it
stopped within u feet after the motor
man yelled.
officer William G. Schmid. whose sta
ton was the corner of Broadway and
Main street, said some parties were
creating a disturbance near the corner
of Park and he went to investigate. He
| saw a drunken man going east on Park
and followed, thinking he might be one
of the disturbers. This man was Tur-
pin. The officer saw him STUN
BILE and fall down. He got
up and went on and the officer
saw him stagger and was satisfied he
was either drunk or had been using
some drug.
Thinking he would not modest him If
he behaved himself, the officer follow
ed slowly along. Presently Turpln
started across the street. The officer
stopped and turned partly around and
saw the car passing. 1T was going the
usual rate of speed. Turpn kept 60
ing straight toward the track and the
officer heard the gong ring violently,
heard Nelson cry out, and looking, saw
the man struck. He hurried down and
arrived just as the car was backed off
) the PROSTATE man. After speaking to
him, Officer Schmid hurried to tele-
phone to call the ambulance. Officer
Sheehy saw the accident. He did not
think the car was going more than
three or four miles an hour and was
positive he heard the bell ring, as well
as Motorman Nelson's cutlery. He was
satisfied Turpin was drunk.
Scott Negus and George S. Rounds
were others VINO saw the accident. Ihey
| thought the car was running no faster
than ordinarily, and We're sure they
heard the bell ring. Edward C. Bray.
a carrier boy for the Standard, was on
the rear platform Of the car. He did net
see anything till he heard the motor
man yell and then saw him applying his
} brake. He did not hear the bell ring.
/, Conductor Semmer was engaged in
; side the car and did not see anything
, of the accident, but was positive he
heard the bell ring in a violent manner.
| The car was going at the usual rate OF
t speed and was stopped within a cars
length after the gong sounded the
alarm.
Motorman Nelson said he saw the
man when he was yet 40 feet away.
| He rang the bell, but did not put on