Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1907-08-14
BRAKEMAN KILLED
Jaw Hudson Of Mt. Pleasant
Met a Horrible Death Near
This City Last Friday.
FALLS FROM A MOVING TRAIN
Body Ground to Pieces BY Wheels OF
Cars accident Occurred Between
Alma and Forest Hill.

Jay Hudson, brakeman on Tie Ann
Arbor railroad, was killed last Friday
noon about one-quarter mile south OF
Forest Hill. The testimony of Conduct
or Varco, of Owosso, who had charge OF
the train, best tells of the accident. The
inquest was held in Justice Chadwick's s
court, Attorney Kress conducting the ex-
animation.
Following is the story of the accident
as told by Conductor Varco: 81 am a
conductor on the Ann Arbor railroad.
My duties are those of freight conduct
or. The number of my train is 20. My
train left Mt. Pleasant at Io:3o, and ar
rived in Alma at l2:35. There four men
in nv crew besides the engineer and fire.
man, making six in all. Jay Hudson
was one Of these men, his duties being
those of a center brakeman. When we
left Mt. Pleasant all of these men were
on the train aud performing their respect
i've duties. When ! arrived in Alma
they were all with me but Jay Hudson.
last saw him at Forest Hill, while the
train was standing still He was stand
ing on the ground on the west side OF
the train, but did not notice whether
or not he got onto the train. l was busy
putting bills in the box on the opposite
side of the train. He was to go TO the
engine and head the train in at Alma,
this task being optional between him and
the head brakeman. My attention was
called to his absence when we went past
the switch at Alma and backed instead
of heading in as we should have done.
The engineer said that Hudson had not
been on the engine and that he had not
seen.him. questioned the rest OF the
crew with the same result. No one seems
to have seen him after leaving Forest
Hill. looked for signs of him and dis
covered blood and flesh on the wheels
and brake-beams of the cars i'll the center
of the train.
There were no other evidences OF how
he came to his death. l then took the
engine and the caboose, the engineer,
freman and head brakeman and started
for Forest Hill We proceeded until we
were about one-quarter of mile south
of Forest Hill. We there found Jay
Hudson between the rails, his body being
badly mangled. He was dead. Both
legs were cut off below the hips,
one hand was cut off and the arm
crushed. There were bruises all over
his body. His lips were cut and some OF
his teeth missing. All of the crew who
went back with me saw Hudson on the
track and we alighted from the train and
went to the body which we laid to one
side of the road. We then proceeded to
Forest Hill, leaving the head brakeman
with the body. there phoned to the
agent at Alma. We laid the body in the
caboose and brought it to Alma. l here
notified the coroner at Alma, and the
agent at Mt. Pleasant at which place
Hudson was boarding. ! also notified
Hudson's brother-in-law at Merrill. Hud-
son was single man ? years of age, and
had worked on my train for about six
months. He had been in the employ of
the company for about three years. My
train was the last one over the tracks,
and there was no bad feeling between
Hudson and any member of the crew.
We all liked him very much. Iconsider
that it was purely an accident and that
no member Of the crew is responsible in
any way. ! and the rest of the crew ex-
cept Hudson we're in the caboose all of
the way from Forest Hill to Alma. II is
customary for the men to run over the
cars when going to the engine"
This covers the testimony given by the
conductor. However. the jury found
upon investigating the car wheels and
the train that the unfortunate man had
started to jump from log to the top of
a large box car and his foot had
slipped on the log, his face and head
striking the walls Of the car The mark
ings on the log and the dust e the car
gave evidence TO this fact.
The unfortunate man lives in Milford
Mich, and his people who reside there
at the present time were notified. The
body was removed to W. II. Rich's
undertaking rooms.
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