The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-02-26
GEORGE. PARKER KILLED BY
NORTHERN PACIFIC TRAIN.
BLAME LAID ON HIMSELF
Coroner's Jury Discharges Railroad
Company and Its Employees from
All Responsibility.

v George Parker, a young rancher liv-
ing seven or eight miles up the val
ley, was killed Wednesday morning
by passenger train No. 6 of the North
ern Pacific.
The coroner's jury that made inves-
tigation of the accident held the de-
ceased alone to blame for the occur
renee and exonerated the railroad COM
pany and it's employees in every re-
spect.
Parker was driving team from the
direction of the Canyon creek bridge
toward his home, on the other side
of the track, which he attempted to
cross in the face of the rapidly ap-
preaching train. The horses had sue
| ceeded in crossing, but before the
| wagon could clear the track it was
struck by the locomotive and almost
totally demolished. Parker was thrown
into the air and landed on the pilot
| of the engine, where he was found
when the train stopped.4f He gasped
once or twice after the engineer and
| fireman approached him, which was
! him. The body was placed in the
baggage car and brought to town, ac-
companied by the mother of the dead
man, Mrs. Jane Parker, and his broth
er-inlaw, Thomas Malmstrom.
The Inquest.
Coroner Rinehart was notified and
summoned jury, which viewed the
remains, after which an autopsy was
performed by Doctor Lindsey. At 2
o'clock the inquest was held at Smiths
undertaking rooms, where the body
had been taken.
w. e. Barker, the engineer of No.
6, was the first witness examined.
He testified that the accident occurred
about half mile east of Foster, and he
first saw Parker when the latter was
about a quarter of mile away, at
which time the deceased was turning
from the main road to drive onto the
crossing. Barker said he had sounded
the whistle and saw Parker, who was
standing in his wagon, look up. AS
the man apparently had heard and
seen the train, the witness said he
make the crossing Instead of stop
ping, he was seen to whip up his team,
which satisfied the witness that he
would try to cross and the witness
applied the air brakes and tried to
stop the train, but was unable to do
so and the collision followed.
At the time Parker made the effort
to cross the track, witness said, the
train was no more than so OF 60 feet
away and witness put on the "emer-
gency." The front wheels OF the wa
gon we're on the rails when the engine
struck it and Parker was still stand
ing. After the train had run about
it's own length it stopped and Barker
and his fireman hastened to the front
of the locomotive, where they found
Parker on the draw bar.
At the time he was approaching the
crossing, the witness said, he was
running about 80 or 40 miles an hour.
He declared that he had whistled
when he came to the signal post and
also whistled when he saw Parker
trying to cross the track ahead OF
him.
D. A. Robinson, the fireman OF the
engine, said that before they reached
the crossing he looked ahead and saw
the track clear. He then got down
onto the deck and began to sweep
it. Just before the crossing was
reached he heard Barker give short
blast of the whistle, at the same time
applying the air. This was when the
train was three or four carlengths
from the crossing. The witness look
ed up and just about when the col
lision occurred he saw part OF the
wagon and then saw the horses run
away.
The rest of the testimony given by
the witness was practically repeti-
tion of that of the engineer, except
as 1t was in response to questions by
the county attorney, who examined