Windham County reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1901-1906, 1905-12-01
PROBABLY NOT MURDER.
(COntinued from Lot nnaa

MI IT riehry fucker was the next wi
ness He testified that man call,
d, MS Office Sunday morning con
paining or rheumatism and that |
,i"u given MIN bottle Of tablets an
~, prescription Tor pint of whiske
. The man gave his name to DR. Tuck,
as John Raglan. DR.. Tucker testifie
mat he went up the railroad trac
Monday morning in company wit
. ondertaker NJ. j. Moran and severe
railroad employees, and found tn
pody on the west side of the tract
whence he was told II had been remove
from between the rails by the ere,
or train n. DR. Tucker said the hea
, was toward the south and lying ius
outside the rails. In regard to the In
Juries he said that the top of the skull
was fractured and some of the skull
missing, the right shoulder torn off
the right elbow joint torn apart. tn,
iett thigh broken at the lower third
the pelvis crushed, the lower Jaw
fractured on the left side and the lef
collar bone broken. There were also
several bruises on the body and the
hands were badly scratched. Or
Tucker testified that he had examined
the ground in the vicinity of where the
BODY was found, and at point on the
track % feet north there was evidence
that the body had been struck by the
train and dragged. Fragments of
skull and brain were found along the
track from this point to where the
body lay when DR.. Tucker saw II. The
only evidence of blood was at the
point where the body was said to have
lain between the rails. DR.. Tucker
stated that in his judgment the body
was dead before the train touched it.
He made an examination of the east
side of the track opposite the point
Where the body was apparently struck
and there found numerous foot prints
and appearances as If the body had
been dragged UP the bank. Near where
the body lay DR.. Tucker said he
picked up a black soft hat and three
or four rods north at the point where
the body apparently was struck by the
train he found black cloth cap. He
also found bottle of medicine which
he recognized as that which he gave
to the man calling himself John Ra-
gan Sunday morning. Other articles
found near the body were a knife. a
door key. two nickels and piece of
clay pipe. DR.. Tucker stated that the
absolute lack of blood In the neighbor-
hood of the accident led him to think
that the body was dead before struck
his judgment, death had taken place
eight to twelve hours previous to the
time he viewed the body.
j. Fl. Burke testified that he had
seen the body about 1915 that morn
ing and recognized it as that of a
man who had formerly been employed
on the transfer platform. and had at
that time. Nov. 1904, given his name
as John Reddy. The witness further
stated that he had since had occasion
to pay the man as section hand under
the name of John Reagan. He said he
was employed Saturday in the gang
in charge of Foreman S. J. Fitzgerald |
Mr. Burke said he was notified of the |
accident about 615 Monday morning |
by Lewis NJ Allen and that the crew |
of train II, north bound freight, had |
been given instructions to remove the |
body from the right of way. Mr.. Burke
further testified that none of the crews
of the trains which came in Sunday
night had reported as to the evidence
Of any accident
The next witness was NJ ]. Moran,
who testified to finding the body near
the track at a point about five rods
south of the rock cut. He said APP
pearances seemed to indicate that the
body had been dragged onto the track
rom the east side there being foot
prints which looked as If some one
night have slipped under heavy load.
Lewis M. Allen. who lives on the :
Noses Chlckering place in Chesterfield, {
Y. H., and is employed in the Brat +
leboro Cabinet company's factory. i
estified that he started for work Mon 4;
lay morning before it was light, and :
hat just below the rock cut he saw o
n the railroad track what he thought :
vas the body of dog. Upon closer +
he saw that 1t was a man
nd although he was not able to tell a
cry definitely as to the position OF :,
he body, he was sure that it lay be- a
ween the rails and that the head was :,
,ward the river. Mr.. Allen said .,
nat he spoke several times but re-
eived no answer, and then continued 81
own the track, stopping at the 6
eight office and notifying the people n
lere of his discovery. He said he :,
as not positive as to the time when &,
e discovered the body. but that 1t m
lust have been between five and six
5 he walked down the track soon @,
ter the owl train went by.
No more testimony was taken Mon
Nv afternoon, although James Shea
I'd John Donovan, who had been
as witnesses, were exam u
ed in private by Mr.. Schwenk and
ttorney General Fits. The men told
,nficting stories in answer to the NJ
Iestions of the attorneys and were n,
tally arrested on a charge of intoxi- III
tion in order to hold them as wit o.,
sses for Tuesday morning. r.
James Shea was the first witness M
It on at that time. He testified that FL
s home was in Palmer. Mass, that
had been working here about two he
,nths and was employed as section ~
nd When questioned about his ac- Re-
ms Sunday, he said that be left his
arding place on Elliot street about
Is in the afternoon in company with pa
hn Donovan and that they met RAJ
n on Main street. The three men w
mt up the railroad track about two cal
les and half and near the rock
met two other men, whom the fro
tness did not know. Shea testified Jul
It on their way up the track Raglan
Donovan had some alteration is
put a woman, but he stated that the ST.
tier did not take any serious turn. !,
Ter meeting the two men and taking ~
drink from the bottle which they ~, S,s
|. Donovan and Shea went to John WI
1nelrs on the Chesterfield road, and n
h bought a quart of whiskey. Shea nor
titled that he was not sober at the Wol
e, but knew everything that was n
ng on. He said that Raglan and day
other two men waited near the Thu
road track while he and Donovan che
cured the liquor and that the five N
n started down he track. Near ton
lower end of the rock cut they all ate
down, and, according to She IS Mrs
imony, were there when the paper +,
n went down at about AIS and tba
N a freight train went up about All
hour later. Shea testified that he Nau
ted home as soon as it began to =
/. but that he did not know just ~,
= ~ Ice, no,ovon and PAGAN Tha
u it icits iIoiio'oi H.,