The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1908-05-05

= outLOt way -SO1OAOA VO00
ems tonight empanelled q jury to in
vestigate the cause OF the death Of
Engineer Charles Bussey ana Charles
Ming, who lost their lives In the
.dynamiting Of the Burlington ex-
press two miles west Of this city last
night. The jury after hearing the
testimony Of a number Of passengers
and trainmen, rendered q verdict
that the wreck of the limited was
caused by dynamite.
The discovery of the theft of As
sticks Of dynamite from the powder
house Of a mine ear the scene Of the
wreck has afforded the officers a clue,
which is now being run down. Just
what that clue is the authorities re-
fuse to state, though it is intimated
that young hoodlums are suspected Of
having committed the deed. The Off
GERS are at a loss to find a motive for
the wrecking of the train and are in
clined to believe that the d%ynamiting
might have been done through a de-
sire to cause some excitement.
Fireman George Ehle is in "a dying
condition tonight and little hope is
entertained for his recovery. He is
terribly burned.
James Desroches presented himself
at the hospital today for treatment for
injuries received in the wreck. Des-
roches was on the platform on one
of the coaches when the explosion
occurred. A number. of passengers
are badly bruised but none sustained
serious injury.
Explosion Burned Body.
Engineer Bussey's mangled body
had to be dug out Of the side of the
railroad cut with q shovel. It was
found under the engine this morning
Daylight found a large force OF
deputy sheriffs, railroad detectives
police and ranchers upon the scene
No clue, either to the perpetrators OF
motive, could be secured.
Carl Ming, the hobo who was riding
between the engines, took a sudden
turn for the worse this morning and
died at 9 O'clock in the hospital. He
carried a carpenters union card, is
sued at Sheridan, Wyo.
First Tangible Clue.
The first tangible clue was secured
at 10 o'clock, when deputies traced
the powder used to a mine located
about a mile from the scene Of the
explosion. Forty-fve sticks of giant
powder were stolen from the mine
some time after 10 o'clock last night
1t is believed now that this entire
charge was exploded, as the locomo
tive wrecked, one OF the largest
used in the mountains, was com
pletely demolished.
That the two mail clerks, Henry
e. Hoskins of 725 South Wyoming
street, Butte, and Paul Burke, Of Bill
ings, were not seriously injured is
wonder. Hoskins had just closed the
door on the north side Of the car
through which he was looking wher
the explosion occurred. He wa
thrown across the car onto a heater
but escaped with a few decorations
Burke was thrown head on MALT tht
length of the car, crashing into {
hand grenade fire extinguisher, from
which he suffered a deep cash owe
his left eye. He was otherwise con
siderably bruised. Both mail clerk
were able to extricate Themselves
and afterwards assisted the rest o
the crew in chopping free Ming. witt
was SO caught and crushed between
the mail car and engine tender that !
required an hour and q half to &c
him out. J.. P. Valentine was the ez
press messenger in charge Of the ca
behind the fish car. He escaped in
jury.
Looked for . Holdup.
That some of the cars did not TAX
fire was the greatest surprise. Cor
ductor John Callahan in charge Q
the train and his trainmen made a
immediate Investigation. fearing
holdup. They ran up the track lool
ing for bandits. but saw none. On
trainman said afterwards that b
thought he saw a dim figure maxim
away In the dark, going northwart
| Otherwise there was no one in sigh
AS is the nature Of dynamite. tn
force Of the explosion showed 1t
greatest effect downward into tn
Ground. It took ope length Of "a
from It's mornings on the south sid
of the track and slid 1t neatly to tn
north, up against the rail on the mort
side. In this way the head engin
was derailed, but missed the full e
feet OF the explosion and plowed o
along the roadbed for 200 feet. TIL
momentum OF the train tore tn
wrecked engine. No. Zoo with th
coaches loose from the head engine