Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-30
CORONER'S FINDING
In Case oi Wreck Where Fred
 Dewhnrsi Was KllIed.

| Depuly SuIoHcl oisVi D. NAe'S peace as the result of his inyestiga- tion into the accident at the tracks near the corner of South Riverside street and Washington avenue last Friday evening in which Fred Dew hurst lost his life has found that | the brakes on the cars were loosened by crowd of boys. He learned that even while the cars were run ming away a number of boys were riding on them and some of them were on the train when they banged 1 into the caboose in which was Dew 1 hurst.
 The detective department hat, been working on the case the past i few days but has been unable to | learn the names of any of the boys. The finding is as follows:
 Record of inquest held on the body of Frederick Dewhurst, who died June 26, 1908, at Waterbury. Conn.
 Having been notified on the 26th day of June, 1908, by Lieutenant Dodds of the police department, that Frederick Dewhurst, white male. 2S years of age, late of Fishkill, New York, had come to violent I death in the town of Waterbury took charge of said dead body and made all proper inquiry concerning the manner and cause of said death. After said inquiry and hav- ing reason to suspect that said | Nv aYsiYr n a1 act, omission or carelessness of an other or others, I held an inques. l as to the manner and cause of said l death and examined the place where I said death occurred Said inquest was commenced on the 26th day of June, 1908, at said Waterbury, where said death occurred, and con- tinued on the 29th and 30th day of 1 June, 1908. The following named persons were examined at said in. quest:
 Joseph E. Martin, James P Sulli- van, James A. Mulligan, Thomas Gloven, James J. Calvin, William Benton, James sherman, Joseph E. Johnson, Peter J. Meehan. Charles F. Richards, all of Waterbury.
 Having considered all the testi- mony taken at said inquest and the facts observed at said examination I, on the 30th day of June, 1908, made the following findings:
 Frederick Dewhurst was a brake man in the employ of the New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad company and was working on freight train No 1,S12. Shortly be. fore 6 D. m., June 26, 1908, this train lay on the siding between Washington avenue and Bank street headed north, the train crew hay ing orders to lie there over night The air brakes had been set on the train and the crew were just leav- ing. A: D. & H. box-car, which was T lying on the siding when train I No 1912 backed in, was immediate ly south of the caboose of train 1872. The caboose was attached to a steel coal car. At distance of 200 or 3J0 yards south of the caboose and on the same track was string of 21 cars : which had been placed on the siding the day before. These 21 cars were securely braked when placed on the siding and after various shifts were left at 3:2O p. m. on the day of the accident securely braked The tracks at this point have been for some time infested with gangs of boys who make a practice of climbing on the cars, riding on them, stealing coal, lifting coupling rods and loosening brakes Such a gang was on these 21 cars be- tween 3:20 D. m. and the time of the accident and were actually on these cars at the time of the collision. Al about 6 D. m. switch engine 2045 pushing 19 cars, came in on the sid ing from the main track south of the unattached cars and south of train 1872. The crew of the switch en. zine attempted to couple up the cars to which the engine was attached with these 21 cars; an ordinary con. tact was made and 1t appears as il several of the cars were attached tc the string pushed by the freight en- zine. The remainder, however, broke away, themselves broke in two and came down the grade in two sections toward the box car just in the rear oi the caboose. The first section of the runaway cars struck the box car a moderate blow and then the second section, striking the first section drove the end car of the string, a flat car loaded with acid carboys against the D. & H. box car with great force. The box car was knock ed half over the embankment and driven into the end of the caboose causing the forward end of the ca. boose to revolve on the end of the coal car. Deceased was on the for. ward end of the caboose. was caught between the caboose and the coal cal and his body was completely cut iu two.
 1 I find that there WAS no negli. gence on the part of the crew of the switch engine and that the attempt. ed coupling was made with proper care.
 I further find that there was no negligence on the part of any train crew which handled the string ol twenty-one cars and that these cars were properly braked and were Sd left two and one-half hours before the accident.
 1 further find that in all probs. bility the brakes of these care wert released by trespassing boys, whose names are unknown to me. and tha. the release of these brakes was tI.s cause of the death of said Frederick