Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-08-28

tHt IurEMge ceremony. conducted
the religious services this afternoon,
Frank Baker had been fremen
ever since he arrived here and az the
time Of his shocking and un,imely
death. he was chief Of the Las Vegas
fire department He was also q useful
member OF the Fraternal Brotherhood.
The Inquest.
This morning before Justice Woos.
ter the coronor. a, jury composed Of
Chas. Tamme. Saul Rosenthal. II. p.
Stone. n. B Roseberry, w. G. Koogler
and II. p. Brown. found that Frank
Baker came to his death by accidental
" falling from window Of Hot
Springs car No. l02 while II was in
motion and being drawn under the
car, Further the jury found that
there was no negligence on the part
Of the company and that no blame
was 70 be attached to anybody.
= MotorYnan Green testified that after
.he ice train appeared in front o. his
car. Re reversed the machinery on
s'gnalled word from the conductor.
Chas. Wells. fireman at the power
house. testified that Just before Bak.
crs.' car arrived. Mr. Dammer had
telephoned 10 know II the ice train
was IN sight He replied II was not.
When Baker arrived. however. Wells
saw he ice train nearing the hospital
siding and advised Baker TO take the
switch. he suDDosed Re had done so.
hut the car went on and later ne
noticed 2 conmc:ion and that the car
had stopped.
l.. P. Jones. an intelligent laboring
man, gave graphic description of the
manner in which Baker met his death.
He said thai when the ice train came
IN sight. Baker had signalled to re.
verse and the car had started back
without the trolley pole being chang
ed. Witness described Baker as SIT.
ting astride the window. leaning out
with his hands on the trolley rope.
The car had backed but a short dis
tance when violent shock was felt
and Baker was thrown from the win.
dow. The car was stopped very soon
and when the passengers went out
Baker was living dead with one arm
and one leg protruding from the side
OF .hc track Three laborers who
were On the car and saw the accident
rave testimony similar TO that of Mr..
zones. Both Mt. Wells and Mr.. Jones
agreed that the accident could not
have happened if the trolley had been
reversed They described the manner
IN which the trolley pole had caught in
la bracket and been ierked bacl,
with all the force given by the onward
rncfion O. the car. They also noted
that the bracket and hangers had
been rent and twistea.
W A. Buddecke gave evidence as
to the Kramer in which The trolley
was caught hv the bracket while the
car was backing. He said the acci-
dent would have been Impossible -o
occur with the trolley mole properly
nlaced He said that il there baa
been no catching that the conductor
'c''- saS'iv Rave handled the trolley
pole by the rome, but that with pole
sfHo k.ain 'hag bracket i was forced
hacl, the other way and the tension
Ct the rope was immense. Mr.. Bud
dacRe exploined that it was the duty
cf the conT'ictcr to change the trolley
role and said that the instructions of
the cumpanv were that cars must not
he backed nm the canyon line without
The Tcles heing properly placed He
sal. also that he conductor had had
orders tn 'al-n the switch at the power
house but doubtless thought the ice
train would switch at the hospital and
weit Fur him.
y. ]. Wnrrov testified 70 the con
6iticn c. he body WREN found.