The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1910-11-28
Finds Public Service Com
mission on Fatal Accident
AT DUMMERSTON SEPT. %
J. Arms Miller Was Killed by Being
Thrown from or Jumping from Bos-
ton & Maine Train Which Ought
to Have Stopped.

Blame is placed on the conductor OF
the Boston Il Maine railroad train which
ran over and killed j. Arms Miller OF
Dummerston at the Dummerston station
on September %, last, after attending
the state fair The commission con-
cludes that the conductor was ''negli-
gent in failing to stop his train at
Dummerston or in failing to learn II
MIR. Miller, who had intended to stop at
Dummerston had left the train, which
was a special, AMI had taken the regu-
lar train at Charlestown, N. Fl.
The conductor had testified that he
supposed Mr. Miller had left the special
train for the regular train. The COM
mission finds that the special train
stopped at every station until it reached
Dummerston, and as it approached that
station the engineer reduced speed at
the usual point for the purpose of max
ing the customary stop at that station,
and when the speed had been reduced
to about fifteen miles an hour, the con-
duetor, supposing that MIR. Miller was
on the regular train and that, there
fore, the special This own train had
not passengers for Dummerston, gave
his engineer the signal to go ahead,
whereupon the engineer speeded up the
tain and passed Dummerston without
stopping.
The blame is placed by the commission
in the following official report: Just
as the speed Of the train was reduced,
indicating the intention to stop as just
stated, Mr., Miller having his oyercoat
on his arm and his grip in one hand
and umbrella in the other, left his seat
and went upon the platform of the ear
for the purpose Of alighting at the sta
ton. At this time the train must have
been moving at a speed of at least
fifteen miles an hour In some way,
either because he jumped from the train
or was thrown therefrom by the jar in
cident to speeding up the train after
the signal was given by the conductor,
Mr. Miller was thrown from the car
to the station platform, drawn beneath
the train and instantly killed, Mr.. Stat
ford, who was looking out of the window
saw Mr.. Miller fall upon the platform
and after watching few seconds to see
whether he would arise, went through
DHe Train until ne iUuIlu u DihhelddHy
whom he informed of the accident, and
the brakeman thereupon sought the con-
duetor to whom the same was told. But
the conductor thought it prudent to run
to Brattleboro rather than to return to
Dummerston, and he did so. After the
arrival at BrattIeboro, the conductor
took such proceedings that the body
was at once discovered and cared for.
"The foregoing are all the facts and
circumstances that we can state with
certainty. We are inclined to think that
MIR Miller was thrown from the train
rather than that he voluntarily attempt
ed TO alight therefrom; but we are well
satisfied and find that the conductor
was negligent in failing to allow his
train to be stopped at Dummerston, or
in failing to assure himself that Mr.
Miller, whom he knew was destined for
Dummerston, had in fact left his train
at Charlestown. Notwithstanding that
charity that one may have for railway
employees in attempting to handle such
crowds of passengers in a case of this
kind, we cannot escape making the fore
going criticism"