Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1900-07-07
STILL UNSOLVED.
Death of Albert {. Hamilton
Remains a Mystery.
Engineer and Conductor Of No. 8 L.
norant Of the Cause.
Four Hours Of lime Are Yet 10 Be Accounted
For.
Four Hours Of lime Are Yet 10 Be Accounted

! The coroner's inquest over the death
OF Albert f.. Hamilton whose dead bod,
| was found beside the railroad tracks
thursday morning, did but little to.
ward clearing up the mystery Wha,
| TOOK place III the time between II
CLOCK when he was heard talking near
the Cushnoc Fibre Co.'S. plant ana $50
when the body was found is what tha
officers would like to learn. So far M
one mas been found to give any account
of that time. Another thing that
strikes some of those who are interest
ed in the case as peculiar, is the fact
that his hat was found lying a short
distance from him. instead of being
! Iaf away as though blown by the
i breeze created by an express train
moving at the rate of 30 miles an
hour. as was shown by the testimony
! Oh the engineer one of the witnesses
testified that steel binder had been
| taken from n pile of binders near by.
Whether that had anything to do with
the case is something to be cleared
up later
ON the other hand the testimony Of
the physicians that such a blow as
Hamilton was killed 10y might have
b""n received by a projection from the
en%ln" or cars. clears up in the minds
Of ] great many all thoughts Of muir
dor in the ease.
me jury met in the municipal court
room at 10 o'clock with j. +. Bean pra-
SIDING as coroner, and Thomas LEIGH
acting for Tho county attorney in
conducting the examination. The
court room was filled with
spectators, but Ill WAS nyt
until the latter part Of the trlal
that the interest began ID r,,rh !,
point where it was believed that there
may have been other causes rur III.
man death than a train.
Thos. f. Nancy. the engineer Of
trains Nos. ana ~, The. first witness
'diied' Sild h" knew Moth
ing OF the death Of Hamilton. As
regards the engine. His train was
bound for Portland. ana was running
80 miles an hour. past that point. In
striking man OF his weight. he
Nancy. would not naturally know
about IT, The projections M the engin.
outside the rail. extend II inches from
IT, In making the examination Of the
engine he did not discover signs Of
blood. The ears We're examined in
Portland
Frank l.. Gardiner the conductor On
train NJ. $. knew nothing about the
accident, until this morning. He cX-
pressed the opinion that the steps by
which Hamilton might have been
struck. projected l. inches. There was
nothing on the ears Of his train Ia pro
J"ct ana strike the man. as the train
with tn" exception Of the last car was
made NJ Of vestibule cars. Tn. last
car which was second class. might
have had projection on the step.
lr. Bert Andrews examined the body
Of Hamilton and gave the result Of his
findings In describing the wound at
Tho back Of the head he stated that at
the beginning of the wound there was
what appeared to be a bruise. The in
terror Of the skull showed 4 large num-
b"r Of small clots all through the
brain. lie then gave a minute ex-
PLANTATION of the findings of the physi-
clans. In my Judgment he said.
the injuries We're caused by a small
instrument. behind which was n great
deal Of power. The injuries could have
been caused by an instrument i'll the
hands Of 4 person. 1t might hay" been
made by blow from nut on a train.
The blow was struck up if the man was
standing. or down if he was lying
down. If Hamilton had been lying
down ana was struck by a train, the
wound on the head would have been
produced. a shorter man striking
swinging blow could have produced
such wound. The instrument to pro-
duce such a wound must have a long
lever"
DR. Andrews in citing thr condition
of the mans skull called attention to
the fact that the exterior injury t. the
skull bone was small. while inside. the
bone was shattered much the same rs
when nail tears away the wood for
some distance On the opposite side Of
the point il enters. The wound wa=
small outside. but on the insid" tn"
skull WAS broken for some distance
around the point where the blow was
struck.
Dr. J. +. Tucll rccitcd the injuries as
he found them when. in company win
DR. Andrews tn" post -mortem was
made. He said the injuries might have
been caused by 4 blow from passing
train ct seems to me he must nave
been struck by the step Of car. DO
not think blow from wrench conii
have been heavy enough to produc" the
conditions found.
officer Hanks told the story OF ms
seeing Hamilton. Wednesday night.
and traced Hamilton from Bryant
stable M to Willow street There
Euher was near Hamilton. The last
Hanks saw Of Hamilton was when
Huhor was following him.
Francis Ruber saw Hamilton in IN"
evening and was with him until
o'clock. II Went home he SAID, 1
don't know in what direction | went.
I reached home at ola. | never saw
Hamilton after | left him. No, can
tell in what direction went. MY
brother put me to bed.
| Harry Stickney, the fireman az the
cushnoc Fiber 90. said he went out m
ia the coal shed to get coal during the
night in question and overheard liam
IiIton cav. Il have n good mind to punch
,ba Yankee -" l could teH ms
vnic. from my acquaintance with MN
tn. night watch. Albert a. MofllSoh.
heard. and I think he saw the Pdr