The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1916-05-18
PLAIN CASE OF ACCIDENT
Coroner Millager Gives Out Facts Which
Show Dickerson Was Probably Under
the Influence of LiQuor-Burns Men
Fail to Intimidate Officials.

The remains OF Leonard R. D1ckef~
son, wealthy young Chicago man found
dead along the tracks of the Chicago
and North Western Railway company
a mile south of Berryvillle on Tuesday
morning, were shipped to Chicago early
this afternoon and they will be taken
to Monmouth, H., for burial on
Thursday.
Efforts of Chicago papers to make a
'Emurder" out of the death of Dicker-
son fell fiat in the light of statements
made by the Kenosha officials who have
closely Investigated the case. 1t is
said that Burns men have been sent
to Kenosha by relatives of Dickerson
to make an investigation into the case.
If this is true, the detectives are not
working in conjunction with either the
Kenosha police or the sheriff
S. N. Wilson, president of the Wilson
Jones Loose Ledger company, of which
Dickerson was the secretary, protested
against an inquest over the remains on
Tuesday afternoon, declaring that he
was satisfied that Dickerson had met
accidental death.
The Chicago men who have sought to
establish murder theory in the case
insist that Dickerson was not killed
by falling from the North Coast limited
but that he boarded local train go
ing north and that he was assaulted
and thrown from the platform of car
on this train. The only north bound
local train that he could possibly have
caught was one which left the local
station at 1921 Monday night. At
least one witness has been found. who
talked with Dickerson in ,Kenosha af-
ter this train left from the station and
at this time Dickerson was On Main
street.
Coroner Millager has signed the
death certificate in the Dickerson case
and he gives as cause of death, "Fell
from a train. -
''There ism It the slightest chance
that Dicl-erson was murdered and [ do
not believe that his relatives have any
srch an idea," said Coroner Millager
when shown reports from Chicago.
Dickerson came up to the pie fight.
He had been drinking and drinking
considerably. When we picked him up
along the track he had broken whis-
key flask in his pocket and there was
plenty of evidence to show that he had
been under the influence of liquor. He
could not have boarded any train but
the North Coast Limited and the con-
dition of the ground along the tracks
where the body was found shows con-
clusively that he was dragged by the
train. Every cent Of money chat Dick
erson had when he left his office in
Chicago on Monday afternoon has been
accounted for; there is no motive for
foul play or murder. The only possible
sensible view of the case is that he
was drunk and got on the wrong train.
That he hung on to the train as long
as he could and then fell off and was
rolled along the track. There is not a
mark on the body that indicates in any
way IldG liz udd i1CO WIN ICu1 D.dV or
leaves even the possibility of such a
thought. Any story that Dickerson
was murdered is pure bunk I am
morally certain that he jumped on the
closed platform of the limited train
and when he was exhausted he fell off
and was killed. That is the theory on
which have signed the death certif-
cate and don It care how many Burns
men come to investigate, there is no
other theory supported by bit of evil
dence."
The coroner claims that the fact that
Dickerson was intoxicated was estab-
hshed early in the evening. It is as
serted that he had quarrel with the
doorman at the opera house in regard
to the ticket he held for the boxing
show and he made such nuisance Of
himself that police officer was order.
ed to put him out Of the house. he
returned later in more peaceabIe
mood and he was admitted.