The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1908-06-24
States Attorney Of Windsor
County Gets Scored
Board Claims That on Three Occasions
He Neglected His Bounden Duty
Regarding Participation In
Hearings.

The Vermont board Of railroad com
missioners, in today's report on the ac-
cident whereby Daniel Mcphee was in
iursd while alighting from a Central
Vermont train At White River juno
tion February l7, score the states at
torney Of Windsor county for alleged
negligence in the performance of dil-
ties The states attorney is Z. A.
Buck Of Windsor They say:
~This is the third Investigation of
this kind that we have held in Windsor
county this week, and although the
states attorney In each case had fun
notice OF the hearing, including a list
cf the witnesses who could give infor-
nation in regard to the accident he
iieither attended nor produced any wit
nesses before the board, nor procured
anyone TO attend in his place, nor gave
any reason for his absence"
The board report that there was no
direct eyidense before them that there
had been an accident, except for d let
.er from McFee stating that be had been
injured so add the commissioners ~we
may safely report at least that he
claims to have been injured" That
was about all they could find out about
the accident. The report Is signed by
ELI Porter Of Wilmington, John wv.
Redmond of Newport and 8. Hollister
jackson Of Barre, commissioners
The board finds IN other cases as
follows; that there was no one to blame
for the death Of j. J. I'ibbstts on the
Central Vermont near West Hartford
IN March 20, 1908; that Alice Sparks
came to her death while picking up
coal in the Central Vermont yard at
burlington on March DO through her
own negligence, being crushed between
carss that Richard Barber killed on
tie Boston a Maine railroad at White
River Junction May 2, died through his
own earelessness; that the Boston Il
siaine railroad Is exonofated of b9atne
il the fatal accident of John Molstrom
of East Ryegate April q and personal
injury I'd Oscar johnson 1T the same
time and place.
The verbatim report On the last ac
cident IL as follows;
4 public investigation into the cause
Of this accident held at Wells River,
May i2, 1908, revealed the following
fsfctss
On April d 1908, m extra freight
train Oh the Boston and Maine railroad,
consisting of locomotive, "a loaded
freight cars, and d caboose. left New.
pert, about one p. nj, bound for Woods
vile. About $500 of that afternoon,
II point one mile south of East
Ryegate station, while the train was
running down grade on its own momen-
tum at q speed Of about rs miles an
hour the train separated, the air
brakes automatically set and stopped
the train. When the train crew went
back. they found nine Of the loaded
freight cars in the ditch and badly
damaged. AS they looked, a man
eravled out from the wreckage, with a
slight flesh wound over his eye, and
told the train crew that he was a Swede
bg the name Of Oscar johnson, that he
and companion by the name Of John
Aiolstrom had mounted the train about
4 mile back, that they wors without
money and were bound for Boston.
Further search discovered on the oppo-
side of the track, the frightfully mutt
Ieted dead body Of the man whom
Johnson recognized as his companion.
We find that MoIstrom was instantly
Killed as he rode on the @leadwoodn be-
sween two cars, by the cars coming to-
yefher and crushing him. For more
ban mile north Of the scene of the
accident, the grade is very steep tow
'rd the south, and for all that distance
lie train had been @coasting'' The
'oadbed was. in no way defective, but,
ii the contrary, was in good condition.
The derailment was probably due 70
broken wheel. but whether this was
he true cause no one can say with GER
ainty. When the wreckage was remov-
d, a broken wheel was found among
be ruins.
We cannot find any negligence in re-
peet Of the speed of the train, or its
management and operation, nor in re
pect of The condition and suiieiency Of
he roadbed.