Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1906-06-22
JUMPED TO HIS DEATH
James {. Mountain Hurled Him
self in Front of Train
Body Horribly Mansled and Dismembered
Victim Lived In Gardner and Was
Parole Patient at 5rattIeboro Retreat.


Victim Lived In Gardner and Was
Parole Patient at 5rattIeboro Retreat.
By deliberately jumping in front of
fast freight train on the Boston q Maine
railroad Wednesday morning James T..
Mountain of Gardner, Mass, parole pa
tient at the Brattleboro Retreat, met in
slant death about two miles south OF
Brattleboro, in the town of Vernon. The
body was mutilated beyond recognition
and fragments were scattered several rail-
lengths. 1t was completely uismembered
the head, arms and legs being torn on
and the torso was cut and mangled. The
tragedy was enacted about $50 o'clock,
and. from then until noon the identity OF
the victim was not known
The train was nortnbound and the loco
motive was in charge of Engineer F. n.
Carr OF Springfield, Mass Engineer Carr
stopped the train as soon as possible after
Mountain jumped. but there was nothing
that could be done On his arrival in
Rrattlsboro Engineer Carr told the story
Of the tragedy TO Station Agent J. II.
Burke The train had nearly 40 cars, was
running on n straight track and was max
ing good time The engineer saw a man
walking southwark beside the track, near
the Gushing place below Broad brook.
The man was carrying his coat on one
arm and Just before the train reached
him he threw down the coat and hurled
himself in front OF the locomotive. The
engineer was shocked by the suddenness
Of the tragedy. but he reversed the lever
and stopped the train. The crew viewed
the body and tagged the New London
passenger train which was following them.
Then the freight train was run to Brattle-
boro.
Station Agent Burke and several men
were taken TO the scene on locomotive
The clothing was searched for identified
tion marks. but there were no papers in
the pockets. The only clew was the ini
itials u Z. NJ" written on the victim
cuffs. In the pockets was a five-ceni
piece eyeglasses. a pipe and box OF to-
bacco II was found that the body was II
the town of Vernon. and the selectmen oil
that town were notified. although the Brat
tleboro selectmen were notified when the
news Of what had happened first reached
Brattleboro. Selectmen a. G. Barnes and
f. II. Akley ordered that the body b'
taken to Moran's undertaking rooms
/ which was done. Meanwhile the searci
| for identification marks was renewed and
on the inside hat band was found tbs
/ name James Z. Mountain" written II
| ink Inquiry was made Of Mr.. and Mrs
\ w. c. Gushing and they said they saw tn'
/ man walking on or near the track just be
fore the train passed. The mans hands
/ did not indicate that he was a laborer
His hat was a black derby, the coat an'
vest were gray and the trousers wer'
black
| A singular fact connected with the cas-
/ Is that when the news that a man ha'
| been killed reached Baggage Master Davi'
S. Carey the thought flashed through hi
| mind. although he knew no reason why !
should. that the victim might be Mrs
| Carey's cousin. James E Mountain, ant
he telephoned to the Retreat TO fin'
| whether Mr.. Mountain was there. Whei
| the body reached the undertaking room
| IL was seen by employees of the Retreat
also by DR.. Haviland Of the Retreat stat
| OF physicians and all identified II as tina
OF Mr.. Mountain by means Of the clothing
and teeth.
The cause of Mountains act is no
known. He played tennis two or tire
hours Tuesday afternoon and appeared I
| be in good spirits. The nature of hi
| trouble did not make II necessary 10
him 10 remain at the Retreat or to hav
an attendant with him. and he was &C
customed to going away on long walks
He would have been discharged in abou
a month. II is believed that his act wa
not premeditated, but that he yielded I
a sudden impulse. He formerly was
travelling salesman, was SO years old an
unmarried. His brother, William
Mountain OF Gardner, we'll known cloth
ing merchant. came TO Brattleboro Wed
nesday night and took the body I
Gardner yesterday morning.