East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1907-10-21

cific fireman who was fatally injured
in the collision east of the city last
Saturday, died at $40 Saturday even
ing and II is thought the remains will
be sent to Illinois for burial. His legs
were not amputated as stated Satur-
day evening, his condition upon ar
rival at the hospital being too weak
to permit of the operation and he died
from the shock Of the accident and
loss Of blood.
A member of the Brotherhood of
Locomotive Firemen is expected to-
day from Ellensburg, to make ar
rangements for the funeral or for the
shipment of the body to the east.
An inquest was held upon the re-
mains at o'clock Sunday evening at
the office of District Attorney G. w.
Phelps for the purpose of determin-
ing the exact cause of the collision
and the responsibility for the acci-
dent which caused Burnett's death.
The inquest was conducted by Coro-
ner Ralph Folsom and Mr.. Phelps.
Engineer ]. /. Howie and Fireman
Myers of the light engine, Agent Wal
ter Adams of the Northern Pacific Of
fices in this city, Operator Ira Julien.
who delivered the orders to Howie on
Saturday, DR.. /. U. Temple and Sec
tion Foreman Siddons were called as
witnesses in the inquest.
Engineer Howie, whose mistake in
the day of the week caused the col
lision, was the first and principal
witness and took the blame for the
collision upon himself. He said that
himself and his fireman, Myers, had
discussed the days of the week in the
morning before receiving their orders
to leave here and decided that II was
Friday ana accordingly he looked for
the time of the incoming passenger
train on Friday instead of Saturday.
The mistake in the day of the week
caused the collision, as he was sup
passenger train.
The other witnesses developed moth
ing in addition to what was publish
ed about the accident Saturday even
ing.
The following citizens composed the
coroner's jury before which the in
quest was conducted: Bert Huffman,
foreman; B. F. Rem, Lee Teutsch, ].
E. Beam, W. S. Perry and George A
hamblen.
In its verdict the jury recommend
ed an improvement in the system of
operating trains on the Pendleton-
Pasco branch of the Northern Pacific,
as slight change in the form of the
train order delivered by the superin-
tcndent of the division to the engineer
would have prevented the collision.
The Verdict OF the Jury.
Following is the verdict of the cor
oner's jury:
Pendleton, Ore, Oct. 20, 1907.
We, the jury empanelled to inquire
into the cause of the death of Charles
Burnett, find that the deceased came
to his death in collision between
engine 1866 and train No. 3, on the
Northern Pacific railroad, at point
about two miles east of the city Of
Pendleton, at about 11:15 a. m. Sat-
lrday, october 10, 1907.
We further find that the accident
n which the said Charles Burnett lost
MS life was due to the lack of proper
system in operating trains on; the PEN
ileton-Pasco branch of the Northern
Pacific railroad and also to careless
less on part of employees in operating
rdlns on said branch of the Northern
Pacific.
The jury would recommend that
steps be taken to improve the meth
,ds of operating trains on this branch.
n the interest of and for the safety
If the travelling public.
BERT HUFFMAN, Foreman,
B. F. REM,
LEE TEUTSCH,
]. E. BEAM,
w S. PERRY,
GEO. A. HAMBLEN.
Fireman's Body East.
This afternoon J. NJ. Russell,
of the Spokane lodge Of the
Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen
Ind Enginemen, arrived in the city to
the remains OF Fireman
Burnett to Drakesville, Iowa, the
nome of his mother. The dead man
belonged TO lodge No. 634 of the fire
mems and enginemen's order, located
It Ellensburg, Wash, and carried
$4,000 insurance in favor of his
mother.