Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1903-04-09
DEATH WAS ACCIDENTAL.
coRoNER's JURY BRINGS IN YER.
DICT ON BODY OF EDWARD
NJ. 0IoWELL.
FINDS THAT DEATH RESULTED
FROM ACCIDENTAL FALL
FROM N. p. TRAIN.

FROM N. p. TRAIN.
Relatives Of the Young Man Arrived
From the East and Funeral Services
Held This Afternoon-eody will be
Taken Back to Wisconsin For Inter
ment.
No testimony was Obtainable at the
coroner's inquest over the body OF
Edward NJ. Bidwell. the unfortunate
young man who was found dead in the
west end of the railroad yards in this
city Wednesday morning, that would
throw any further light on the exact
manner of his death. The witnesses
who saw the young man in Mandan
and on the train expressed the opinion,
either that he had opened the vesti-
bule of the car thinking the train was
nearly at the station. and had lost his
balance and fallen, being dragged
some distance before he was thrown
from the train, or that the door had
been opened by the trainmen and he
was thrown out by the lurching OF
the train. That his death was acct
dental all the witnesses agreed.
DIR. F. Smyth, who made an examina-
ton of the body yesterday forenoon,
with the coroner's jury, told Of the in
juries he had found. He stated that
the principal and most severe evidence
of injury was a fracture of the skull
of the back of the head, where there
was a depression in the skull several
inches long and half an inch deep. He
said there were also other severe inju-
ries. including a fracture of the right
thigh. and several abrasions of the
face and body.
How long the deceased had lived
after receiving the injury that caused
the fracture of the skull the doctor
was unable to say. He gave it as his
opinion, however, that death had re-
suited from the fracture of the skull
and the consequent injury to the
brain.
w. G. Stapelton, the night operator
at the depot, told of his notification by
w. D. Hughes, conductor of the freight
train that passed through the city
east bound at about three o'clock in
the morning, of the discovery Of the
body. Hughes was coming from his
caboose which had stopped west Of
where the body was found, to the
depot, when he found the body beside
the track. He thought at first 1t was
some one asleep beside the track, but
upon examination of the body, saw
that an accident of some kind had hap
pened. When the body was discov-
cred, it was lying on its face, with
the feet toward the east. The wit
ness thought the deceased had been
dragged a little distance by the pas
senger train and the body turned over
by the train in passing. The body was
moved a little distance from the place
where it was found to prevent its be-
ing struck by any other train and the
authorities were at once notified. The
witness was examined as to the yes.
tibules in the train, the manner of
opening them, and by whom they were
supposed to be opened.
j. G.. Quinlevan, Hugh Scott. Carl
Jorgenson and c.. w. Blunt were ex
amined as to having seen the young
man on the train. Their testimony
was to the effect that he was on the
train when it left Mandan, with sew.
eral companions. He went v ia
Mandan on No. 1 and was returning
on No. 2. He was seer by some Of the
witnesses in the combination smoking
and passenger coach near the front
end of the train. Jorgenson saw him
. the last time when the train had LEFT
!, the bridge and just about the time II
whistled for Bismarck. Blunt Though,
he say him some distance out Of Bis
, marck going toward the front end d
j, the car. Scott saw him when the trail
was about opposite Jackman's place
, Bidwell had come back from the from
end to ask where Quinlevan was. H,
then left and started back toward tn,
, front end of the train.
A. c. McGillivray gave test:mon!
that the deceased had no such depres
sion at the back of his head prior Il
q this accident as wal testified to by d.
Smyth.
: The general opinion Of the witnesse
was that the young man had slippe'
u and fallen in some way, grasped tn
Y hand rail Of the vestibnte. and bee
Q dragged for q little distance befor
q he was thrown loose, and that the ter
l. dency OF his momentum would be t
g throw him in near the rail. The buI
tons were dragged of his coat. and hi
{ clothing quite badly torn, indicatin