Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-03-25
CARMEN NOT
RESPONSIBLE
Yesterdays Fatality Was the
Fault of The Victim.
CORONER'S INVESTIGATION
Turpin Was Intoxicated and Paid No
Attention to Repeated
Warnings.
CORONER'S INVESTIGATION

Coroner Phil Jullien's inquisition into
the street car accident of yesterday
morning. by which William Turpin lost
his life. resulted in a verdict to the eff
feet that the deceased came to his death
from the effects of injuries sustained by
being struck by an electric car of the
Butte Consolidated Street Railway COM
pany.' The story of the unfortunate oc-
c~urrence, as adduced by the testimony of
the witnesses at the inquest, was practi-
cally the same as published in the Inter
Mountain last night.
The testimony of the men in charge of
the car, Conductor William Semmer and
Motorman Frank Nelson, was to the eff
feet that Meaderville car No. Z left the
corner of Main and Park streets about
sos o'clock yesterday morning, which
was five minutes behind schedule time.
When the car reached a point about 125
feet west of Wyoming street the car men
saw Turpin start across the street. When
the car was probably 40 feet from Turpin
Nelson rang the gong violently, but Tur-
pin continued to walk toward the danger.
When the car was within 10 feet of Tur-
pin Nelson attempted to stop the car,
applying the brake n opening the
sand box. The bell was ringing a violent
warming to the needless man as he
stepped on the track a few feet ahead Of
the car, and he had possibly taken one
step across the track when the car struck
him. He staggered forward and fell
across the track, the pilot board pushing
him along 10 or II feet, the car stopping
when the wheels came in contact with
the body. The car was Immediately back
o9 owav and the crowd including OH
GERS Schmid, Murphy and Shea, made the
injured man as comfortable as possible.
Frank Niva witnessed the accident. He
saw Turpin cross the street and saw the
car coming at a greater rate of speed
than ordinarily. He did not hear the
gong sound the alarm, but heard the
motorman cry look out" Witness did
not think TurDin was drunk; he was
walking straight.
The testimony of William H. Evans
was practically the same as that giver
by Niva.
officer Schmidt, who had been called
to Park street in the discharge of his
duties, noticed a drunken man walking
along Park street. The man stumbled
and fell down. The officer followed him
The drunken man, who was Turpln
started to cross the street, just as the cal
came along. The car was travelling al
the ordinary rate of speed. The officer
D. nCaIQ the Dell IllS NlolCiAtiH' "h" 'NNA
the motorman's cry of warning, but Tur'
pin walked straight towards the tracp
and was struck by the car. He hurriec
to where the injured man lay just as the
car was packed away, spoke to him ant
sent for an ambulance. Schmid wa:
!, positive that Turpin was drunk.
George S. Rounds, an employe of tn
Lavelle stables, saw the accident; he dlt
not consider the speed of he car more
than ordinary. Scott Negus was OF tn
same opinion. Edward c. Bray was OF
the rear platform of the ear; did no
notice ANYTHING until the motormal
yelled: did not heal the bell ring.
While the conductor and motormal
were arrested yesterday, no action VII
be taken against them as the representa-
tives of the county attorneys once WIN
we've present al the inquest last nl@hs. ar
convinced that there is no merit IN IN
charge of criminal negligence, on whlcI
they were arrested.