The daily sentinel., 1908-03-23
Killed on
the Grande
WAS COMING HERE
Donald Matthews, on Way to
Grand Junction, Literally
Ground to Pieces Near Salt
Lake City.

Donald e. Matthews, quite well
known in Grand Junction, and who
expected to spend several weeks Wis
iting here with friends, was ground
to pieces under a train in Salt Lake
City Friday night. The young man
was 20 years of age and the son of
Mr. and Mrs. Edward p. Matthews,
of Colorado Springs. He was form
erly a car clerk on the Santa Fe.
Ten days ago he resigned his posi-
ton and left his home for a visit to
Grand junction and Salt Lake City.
He went to Salt Lake first expecting
to reach this city yesterday. He had
letter of introduction to Fred G..
Holmes. manager of the local sugar
factory.
1t is believed that he attempted
to board a moving train and was
caught under the wheels. The body
was shipped to Colorado Springs yes
terday for burial.
Regarding the terrible accident
Saturdays Salt Lake Herald says in
part:
For six blocks along the Rio
Grande tracks last night were found
parts of the body of Donald e. Mat
thews, a railway clerk from Colo
board No of the Rio Grande at Z
o'clock last evening. The exact man
ner in which Matthews met his death
will probably never be known, as so
far as is known there were no wit
nesses to the tragedy.
The trunk of the unfortunate man
was found on the Rio Grande tracks
near Tenth South by Hugo Stink of
1917 South Eighth West. Just after
he had made the gruesome discov-
cry. a street car of the West Side
Rapid Transit company came along
Tenth South. He stopped the car,
and passengers telephoned to the
Rio Grande Railroad company and
to the police station concerning the
accident.
AS the body was found outside of
the city limits. Sheriff C. Frank
Emery accompanied Sergeant Hem
pei and Officers Ripley and Brown
to the scene. In the meantime, the
passengers on the street car had
gone up the track tracing the blood
of the dead man. Near Sixth South
a hand and other parts of the body
and most of the mans clothing were
found. The scattered pieces of the
body were taken with the trunk to
the undertaking rooms of e. G. o.
Donnell.
I'm his clothes that were found
near Sixth South street there were
several letters and papers identify
ing the man. These papers showed
that he was a member of the Broth
erhood of Railroad Clerks lodge No
210 of Colorado Springs. and that
he had been night car clerk for the
Santa Fe at Colorado Springs. In
addition, he had a receipt for cloth
ing expressed on yesterday to him
self at Colorado Springs. He also
had letter of Introduction to Fred
G. Holmes of Grand Junction writ
ten by E. C. Shirer of the Western
Sugar and Land company of Colo
RADIO Springs.
Len Phillips, nightwatchman in
the Rio Grande yards saw Matthews
near Sixth South and the Rio Grande
yards shortly after Z O'Clock, and
asked him what he intended doing
Matthews told him that he was 60
ing to catch No. to ride to Grand
Junction. The nightwatchman told
him that he could not catch the train,
and to leave the yards. Matthews
started walking south along the
tracks. A few minutes later No.
came through and, it is presumed
that it was while attempting to board
it that the unfortunate man was
killed. the speeding train dragging
his body with it until it passed Tenth
South street.