The Kalispell bee. [volume] (Kalispell, Mont.) 1900-192?, 1901-12-21
DERA|LED
Unknown Miscreants Caused
the Essex Wreck
AN ACT OF REVENGE
The Coroner's Jury Met Wednesday and So
Decided.-The Authorities Will
Investigate the Case.
AN ACT OF REVENGE

The coroner's jury impaneled to
investigate the death of Albin Erick-
son, the young man who was killed
in the Great Northern wreck at Essex
Sunday, completed their investiga-
ton 4 nursday and rendered a verdict
stating that he came to his death
through the accident and that in
their opinion the wreck was caused
by person or persons unknown who
tempered with the track in order to
cause the wreck. The jury viewed
the body Wednesday and was after
wards taken to t, scene of the wreck
on special train to look over the
situation at that point. The inquest
was held Thursday and large num-
Der OF witnesses including the men
in charge Of the steel gang, who were
laying new rails near where the acct
dent occurred.
The testimony of the tracklayers
was to the effect that on the night
OF the wreck when they quit work
everything was safe and the circum-
stances of the affair seems to bear
them out. They stated that a frelgn,
train which they had held for an
hour or more while completing their
work had passed over the rails safely.
as did passenger train No 4 several
hours later. and about two hours be-
fore the wreck occurred. The rail
road men are strongly of the belief
that the spikes had been pulled and
the fish plates removed expressly to
cause the accident in order that the
grievances of the miscreants could be
satisfied.
One of the features of the case that
was developed AM. tends to encour-
age them in their belief is the fact
that the fish plates connecting the
two rails which spread had been re-
moved and the bolts apparently
thrown away. as they could not be
found. Sheriff Hand also testified
that he had investigated the cause of
the wreck and stated that according
to his belief the spikes had been
pulled from the ties at the end of the
rail, as the spike holes We're not en-
larged, as would be the case if the
rails had been spread and pushed
them to one side. The rail that caused
the wreck was bent upwards as if
when the spikes at one end had been
removed it caused that end to project
above the line of the other rails and
thus throw the cars off the track.
After hearing the testimony the
jury. composed OF FRANK Surber, J.
B. Murphy, Esau James, c. A. Gooti-
rich, Bruce Howard and D. A. Marks,
returned the following verdict:
In the matter of the inquest holden
over the body of Albin V. H. Erick-
son. deceased:
We. the jry in the "',o,-o o~+ile,.
matter, after being empaneled anl
sworn. and having examined the said
body of the said deceased, Albin V.
H. Erickson, and hearing the testi-
mony of the witnesses as to the
cause of his death. and having fully
investigated said matter, find rs fol
lows:
That said deceased came to his
death by an accident on the Great
Northern railroad. at or about three
fourths miles west of Essex station on
train designated as No. 3. said train
being derailed December 18th, 1901,
at 1:3O a. M. at said point by the re-
moval or of loosening of certain
spikes or angle bars connected to said
rail or rails at said place by person
or persons, who in the opinion of the
jury. according to the evidence, did
with malicious intent on thei. part
try to do damage to said railway.
IN witness whereof we have here
unto set our names this the 10th lay
of December. 1901. at Kalispell. Fla
head county, Montana"