Albuquerque weekly citizen. (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1891-19??, 1903-06-06
COUONER'S VERDICT.
Particulars Of The killing Of FidsI
Chaves In Railroad Yards.
VERDICT OF the Jury.

John A. Lee. u. II. Dunbar, McBriety
and II. Brockmeler. members of the
coroner's jury selected to hold an in
quest over the death of Fidel Chavez,
who. yesterday forenoon at 10 o'clock.
received injuries in an accident which
occurred on the scrap track In the low.
er end of the local yeris. freq. Nhich
he died at 1880 o'clock in the afternoon.
convened at 10 o ock this morning
before Judge Borchert. An account
OF the accident. 10 which Fidel Chavez
and Teodosl Pals, members of the
Santa Fe Pacific scrap track gang OF
the local yards we're injured. was Civ.
en- In The Citizen of yesterday. The
circumstances OF the accidetn. which
| came out in the examination this
morning. were very similar to those
gathered by the reporter yesterday.
Judge w. Il. Heacock appeared at the
inquest as attorney for the dead mans
relatives and United States Attorney
w. Is. Chiders, assisted by J. Staab,
were present in behalf of the railroad
u company. DR.. Hope WAS the first wit
Y ness called
He stated briefly that he had been
II summoned to the Santa Fee hospital
Il dispensary at the lower end of Broad.
N way, and found the injured man lying
1 on n stretchsr in his working clothes
J bleeding profueely from a lasceration
extending two.thrds of the way OF the
\ left thigh, and With one foot badly
crushed. The blotd was stanched.
Or. Cutter the ltca Santa Fe Pa
cific surgeon, was called. He stated
that he was az the sh Joseph hospi-
tai when he received . telephone mes
sage that n man was AT the hospital
dispensary seriously Injured. He or
dered the patient bra light to the hos
pital. where he and Dr. James II.
Wroth consulting physician for the
Santa Fe. examiled the wounds and
decided that the foot should be ampu.
tated. The lasceration OF the thigh
was extensive and so deep that
hand could be concealed in It. He
also told OF the successful amputaton
OF the foot and of the patients recov-
cry. and his taking stlmuants. He
George Aregon and Leonidas Abey-
tia. employees of Il. p Hall. Of the Al.
a buquerque foundry. were called and
told similar stories OF the accident.
They were within few feet of Chavez
and saw the car strike him, and help
ed him from the ground.
Guadalupe Sanchez, Dolores Nun
IL and one Garcia. employed on the
scrap grang and present when Chavez
was hurt. told stories very similar to
those told by the preceding witnesses
All three men were between the rails
pushing on the car they were trying
to move and were struck In the back
by the same car that knocked Chavez
to his death. They explained that
they had received no notice that the
string OF cars at their back were to
be moved. and II was only their good
fortune that they were not knocked
down and run over.
John Ford in the employ of the
Atchison, Topeka a Santa Fe, fireman
of engine 1897, the switch engine
which struck the string of cars. was
the next wit'.ess.
He stated hat Il was his duty to
take signals on his side of the engine
and keep her hot. He stated that he
did not know of the accident until told
OF II some time after.
Engineer James Hennesy, who was
in charge of the engine, stated that
he had received a signal from Switch
man Lane 20 back up and did SO. He
said Il YVES necessary in the case OF
patent couplers to make tolerably hard
couplings II is not customary to sig
nal by ringing bell or footing whistle
before making couplings on cars on
scrap track.
The switching crew foreman was
called for. Constable James Smith
said that he had been unable to 10
cate Cole during the forenoon. but
would try to have him before the in
quest In the afternoon
switchman John Lane was called
He was about two car lengths from
the engine and received a signal froE,
Cole several car lengths farther on
He stated that II was customary TO &c
on the scrap track as they liked.
Walter Taylor, the switchman who
made the coupling. was next and stat
ed that Cole was near by and that he
gave the signal to Cole.
The jury then adjourned until
O'Clock this afternoon. when Foreman
Cole and w. II. Little. important wit
nesses, were present.
Little is foreman OF the scrap ganl
and was in charge OF the work wher
Chaves was hurt. He was about 20t
feet distance, but saw the injured mar
fall from between the cars after h'
was hurt. Hs saw him lying on thu
ground and pull his foot, the mashed
foot, from under the wheels. He STATED
that II was customary for mis- men Il
move cars by pinching them with
crowbar and that II was customary fo
4 -.