The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1912-07-22
BURN|E MATTISON
FATALLY HURT At
JOHNSONV|LLE
Star Paper Company Superin-
tendent Victim of Auto Wreck
CAR HIT BY FAST FREIGHT
Neveryou, Papers and Philip Fay
Were Badly Hurt and Stuart
Mayhey Slightly Injured.

Burnie S. Madison, superintendent o.
the Stark Paper companys mill at So
dom, a hamlet in SALISBURY near the
New York state line, was fatally in
mred in an automobile accident early
Sunday morning near Johnsonvllle
Mattison's car which he was driving
accompanied by three North Ben
nington men as passengers, was
struck by a fast Boston and Maine
freight at crossing north OF John
sonyille at about 1915 sunday morn
ing.
The three passengers in the car
were Neveryou Papers, aged %, a son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Lyman Papers oil
Bennington Flats, and employed as
coachman for Hall p. Mccullough
Philip Fay, "a, native of Ireland and
who has been connected with the
house force of Ex-Governor John Il.
Mccullough at the governors North
Bennington home since last November
aud Stuar. Mayhem, 10, son OF Mr..
and Mrs. William Mayhem OF North
Bennington and wac has been employ
ed as assistant coachman on the Nc
Cullough estate during the present
summer.
The three passengers in the auto
mobile were thrown from the wreck OF
the machine when it was hit by the
train and thus escaped with their
lives. Young Mayhem is the least hurt
of the three. Ii was at at first ru-
mored that one of his legs and his
nose were broken but later reports
dsproved this statement. His nose
is bruised and one of his legs is
strained but there is 10 reason why
he should not be out of doors during
the present week.
Neveryou Papers face is consider
ably battered and lie sustained a Sc
we're strain on the muscles of the
back. 1t was nrst reported that his
spine was broken. He may have,
however. sustained internal injuries
Philip rays injuries are similar 10
those of Papers
Mr. Mattleon had owned the car, a
five passenger Buick, for nearly a
year, having purchased it from ply
stefan in Boston last fall. The car
had been used for some time by Harry
Reese for the purpose of carrying pas
sengers and parties to different points
in this vicinity
Saturday evening Mr.. Madison was
engaged by the three young men from
the Mccullough estate to take them
out. The car was in this village early
in the evening and let North Ben
nington about IL o'clock foT Troy.
About 1l45 Mattison stopped tae
car in front of the mill at Sodom and
went into the building to see IF the
color was running right" and 10 re-
plenish the stock of water In the ra-
diator of the car. The party then
proceeded at a moderate rate of speed
toward Troy.
The point where the accident hap
pened is two miles north OF Johns
vile and is known as the Summit
switch. The crossing is a lonely one
with no habitations near by and is un-
protected by lights or gates. According
to one report the party observed the
headlight OF the approaching locomo
tive and attempted to make the cross
ing ahead of the train. Stuart May
hew, however. told his father at the
Troy hospital yesterday afternoon that
none of the party either saw or heard
the train approaching, that there was no
whistle and no ringing OF the bell.
The young man said that the train hit
the automobile before any one Of he
four realized that il was in sight The
night freights over the Boston and
Augr, ,-t.., ~ fvH ,F
When the locomotive hit the auto
mobile the occupants were tossed in
all directions. Mattison was thrown
90 feet from the spot where the loco
motive struck the car and pinned
down by a part of the wrecked auto
mobile. Young Mayhem was thrown
a distance of fully 40 feet and landed
against a fance. Papers and Fay
we're thrown into the ditch some dis
lance from the crossing.
The train was brought to a standstill
as soon as possible and members OF
the crew picked up the dying driver
Of the car and his three companions
and placed them in the caboose. When
the train reached Jacksonville one OF
the members OF the crew telephoRed
AAAt nEME VI ANE nlNAnFMA W ivy
The train reached Troy at O'Clock
and the four victims OF the accident
we're at once taken in an ambulance
to the Troy city hospital where Mat
tison expired Is minutes after his ar
rival
MattisOn received several injuries
any one Of which would have resulted
in his death according to the coroner
who held an autopsy at the hospital
There was a compound fracture OF the
back Of the skull and fatal bodily in
juries. AS he was held in the car BY
the steering wheel he was not pitched
free OF the wreck by the impact Of
the rapidly running locomotive as was
the case with his three companions
lie was the first TO receive the force
Of the collision as he was on the side
Of the car toward the oncoming train.
Papers was on the front seat with
MattisOn. MAYHEM and Fay we're in
the rear seat
Sunday night the coroner at Troy
had not decided whether or not the cir.
cumstances warranted the holding Of