Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1899-02-08

Sherman's undertaking rooms. Coroner
Julien had e~ndeavored to learn some
thing relative to the dead mans antece-
dents, but about all the FORTH
coming was that he was a Finn, between
80 and 35 years of age and had been en-
ployed as a Great Northern section hand
since last August.
rducto f A. Wing, who was IN
charge of the B. A. & p, train winch was
the cause of the accident testified that at
1880 the train backed into the yards ana
coupled INTO several cars, backed. plcked
IN two more, pulled out to the switch ana
went on another track. About this time
the brakeman saw something lying on the
track and called the conductors attention
to it. The two went to investigate ana
found the lead body of a man, whom
witness did not know; a police officer was
at once notified; the track in the snow IN
Dictated the man had been dragged between
300 and 400 feet; witness had no theory as
to the cause of the accident; the BODY
was found lying across the rail; witness
did not think the body had beeen placed
on the track.
Engineer Peter Derham, of the same
train crew knew very little about the ac-
cident; he was told at the time 1t occurred
tina a man had been killed; did not THINK
the engine passed over the body, on ac-
| count of the absence of blood on the
! wheels. Nichoel Madden, the fireman
who was with Derham at the time, knew
/ no more thar the engineer. He was also
of the opinion that the engine had not
! run over Harris body.
e. r. Vincent, the brakeman who dis
: covered the accident testified that he felt
a jar on the break beams, and looked over
the edge of the car to see what caused
the jar. He saw something black, snap
ed like the body Of a man. He climbed
down the car and and confirmed his sus-
-. Tl~, 1Dlxr ,r-oc Vino f0nn down
Witness Immediately notified Conductor
! Wing and the station police officer. The
train crew then continued their work;
during the switching witness dld not see
any one on the cars; witness theory or
the accident was that Harris attempted
to get on the train and fell; witness also
saw the track in the snow where the body
had been puShed or dragged along by the
train.
William Dugan, a brakeman, declined
to take the oath, but said he would af-
firm what he said to be the truth. He was
of the opinion that the wheels passed
over the body; did not see any one on the
the cars prior to the accident nor about
the tracks; had no theory as to how the
, accident occurred; might have occurred
in any one Of a great many ways; wit
ness did not believe it possible the engine
or the other cars except the last one on
the train could ave gone over the body
for the reason that in his examination he
found blood and flesh on the rear of the
one car and non on the other wheels:
witness saw the track of the body in the
snow.
Thomas Needham, a section hand, tes-
tilted to having worked three or four
months with Harris, and knew him as
Eli. Deceased left the section house the
morning before his death; when he came
back he had been stabbed, the witness
~~l .~~ 1870, N+,44l ~ -,
culiar in the mans actions; witness saw
deceased last at the dinner table Monday.
John Penny testified to an acQuaint-
ance with Harris; never saw anything
peculiar in his actions; witness say de-
ceased last IN Friday or Saturday; wit
ness had heard Harris was going up town
Monday morning and was stabbed by
mistake; all witness knew of this was
what he had been told by his wife, who
conducts the boarding house for the
Great Northern section men, and who
overheard some Of the men talking of the
stabbing.
James WaShburn. also a section hand,
knew Harris; Harris went up town Mon
day before daylight to get some medicine;
on his return Harris told of having met
a man who stabbed him; did not say who
his assailant was; witness had once ask
ed witness his nationality, and he said he
was a Russian Finn, but did not say
where he came from or how long he had
been in this country; witness never heard
deceased say anything to lead him to
think he was respondent or had suicidal
tendencies; witness did not hear him say
frequently that he was broke; witness did
not take much stock in the cutting story;
was of the opinion that Harris cut him.
self; did not, see any cut in the clothes of
the deceased; witness knew him to have a
knife; the coroner stated no knife was
found among his effects. For the last few
days, in fact, frequently, the deceased
would walk up and down and act very
nervous; at times he was Eighty and pc
culiar; witness saw deceased last Monday
night after supper when he said he was
going up town to get some tobacco, and
left the section house. His shortest route
would have been along the Great North
ern track; witness was of the opinion
that Harris was attempting to board the
train when killed.
who employed Harris said he had COM
planned to him of being sick. Witness
heard the story of the cutting Monday
evenlng; witness knew nothing of the his
tory Of the deceased his department while
employed by the witness was good: he
would frequently lay off for sickness but
witness noticed he never missed a meal
and came to the conclusion his sickness
was only a whim; witness at times
thought Harris was off mentally. At such
times as he would lay off he would pretend
to be SICK and would always be seen read
ing the Bible; he was, to say the least.
pecullar. witness expressed the opinion
the cut in the breast was inflicted by de-
ceased cutting himself in a fit of despond-
ency, as he appeared very Respondent at
dinner time