Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-08-28
CONDUCTOR
f. BAKERS
AWFULDEATH
Unfortunate Young Man Falls Un-
der Cruel Wheels OF Car N2
Eoty esHly Muti,atec. elameless
and useful Life In This City. An
Only Son a.s Married but . Few
Menths. LARGE Fure.al To-Day.

Las Vegas has never experienced o
sadder ,ragedy than that in the
case q Frank Baker. conductor on
: one Of the canvon cars Of the Las
Vegas electric line. The young man
was THROWN under the wheels os the
moving car ard life was cruelty torn
from him.
The GER. somewhat helaied. was
making its regular run towards the
canyon. About Z o'clock the power
house was reached. About 400 yards
further up the line the conductor saw
the motor car coming down with a
string Of ice cars. He started TO run
back to the switch.
Baker, was leaning out in front Of
the car through the open window. his
hand on the trolley rome watching 10
see that the trolley didn't Jump while
the car was backing The trolley
struck bracket and Il is believed
the lar of this caused the young man
to lose his balance and fall in front
Of the car.
1t is believed that his neck must
have been broken at the outset and
that death must have, mercifully. come
quickly. A number of horrified mas.
sengers say the conductor fol- and dis
appeared beneath the car. The motor
man Immediately turned off the BOW.
er and applied tle emergency brake.
end the car stopped within a short
distance. - azV
The car men and passengers who
rushed cut in the darkness could see
TO trace O. the conductor The con-
dpctor o. he ice train soon arrived
with a lantern and search revealed a
2ruesome sight. An arm and leg.
almost severed protruded from one
side rf the car. The car was moved
;nd the mangled remains of the unfor.
tunate young conductor were tender
ly laid on the grass beside the track
!, President w A. Buddeckf was in.
formed IF the awsnl accident b tele-
nhone. He notified an undertaker, the
CITY marshal and Judge Wooster,
coroner. and started Immediately for
the scene. Judge Wooster save tire
marshal authority to have the hcdy
moved to the city srd this was done
as quickly as nossihle.
An examination showed that the
neck was broken, the head badly cut
and bruised. cne arm almost cut o~
both legs badly broten and one al
most severed. and other wounds.
The management cf the street car
! company and the citizens genera'v.
feel the most sincere regret at the
awful occurrence. Bsker fell without
cry. Beyond all powers of descrip-
ton. beyond the imagination even of
those who have been nearest the
dread original. must have been the
young mans feelings in the brief in.
stant before merciful unconsciousne IS
came
Deceased was universally peculiar
in his capacity with the street car
company as he had been in every
position he filed in the city. He was
good hearted. generous. pleasant
spC',pn and unassuming He was thor.
~eughly reliable. industrious to de.
gree and richly merited the confidence
and good will which he ever INSPIRED
A dutiful and only son. devoted hus-
band, his death brings sorrow and loss
that even the great Healer, Time-can
do little to palliate Some solace the
sorrowirg ones may find in the mem.
orv of the consistent and useful life
but the blow seems almost too heavy
to be horne. There were so manv who
could have heen sr-red so much bet.
ter than Frank Baker.
An speakably sad feature Ia
that the young man wars married only
a few months ago. And 1t gives the
retrespect p Esore gloomy cast when II
js known that Baker had intended to
maize only a few more trips.
Tho funeral was held This afternoon
ut -2.3e. atsana Columbia avenue. Mem.
hers Of the Fraternal Brotherhood and
Firemen's organizations attended in
a body and other svmrathi7ine friends
~f deceased and family. thrpnged .tr
the tiarkened home and followed the
r7aneled BODY to its 'as. resting p'acr
! W NE SlJNGf S'fN w tfie ~ r''- h''i'
while .he hodv lies IN the wind swe1'
ren,eterv. those who sorrow think also
cf 2 brighter rlace of the scnl in thf
eternity tFat hes beyond the thi.
mie-s Of time.
Franz Cariin Rakcr. only child n
Nr. and Mrs J. A Baker. was borT
IN Denver. Colo, on December %
1879. and had resided continuously
with his parents till his marriage. He
was miner bv occupation and came
to this city about Ave years ago. frs
accepting employment with the Las
Vegas Transfer companv SUBSEQUENT
" entering the employ OF the Wells
Fargo Express company. with whom
be remained till April j, when he wen
to work as motoTman on an electric
car He was married TO Miss Harriet
Vinnifred Sullivan on MAY 10 last
the ceremony being performed in tbt
same house. No. 909 Columbia avenue
from which the funeral occurred this
afternoon. The Rev Norman Skinner
the same minister who pronounced