Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1916-09-14
TRAIN WHICH
KILLED BOY RAN
At HIGH SPEED
(Madison Democrat.)

A coroner's jury Tuesday after
noon found that Stanley Baker, aged
IA, was killed near the foot of South
Hamilton street last Saturday by
Northwestern passenger train No. GIT
which was exceeding the speed limit
by going 80 miles an hour within the
! city in violation Of state law. The
jury recommended that the company
discontinue the practice Of violating
the statutes and operate its trains In
compliance with the law and that the
proper authorities see that the law is
enforced. No responsibility for the
death Of the boy was fixed by the
jury.
Jacob Luder. engineer, and William
Schellenberger, fireman, both of Bar
aboo,- admitted that the train was
going at the rate of about 80 miles an
hour when it struck Baker, who was
walking beside the north-bound track,
about 40 feet south Of the foot OF
South Hamilton street. The declar-
ed that according to the rules OF the
company the trains should be operated
at a rate not to- exceed ten miles an
hour between South Madison and the
tower on the Sherman avenue cross
| ing. They are not familiar with the
state law which regulates the speed
within the city and village limits and
i testified that they had never been in
structed with regard to the provisions
! Of the state law.
| Train Loses Time
| According to the engineer and fire
man the train left Chicago on time
| Saturday morning, but lost about Is
minutes between that city and Ore
gon. The train was due in Madison
at 1880, but as it was late, Luder, &C
cording to his testimony, had planned
on pulling into the depot at 1900
Baker was struck at 1888.
Schellenberger testified that he saw
Baker walking beside the track just
as the train had rounded the curve
north of the first bridge. but that he
did not have time to notify the engi-
neer. Baker was only a short dis
lance ahead of the train, according
to the fireman, and after he had been
hit Schellenberger gave the engineer
the signal to put on the brakes.
Questions asked by the coroner and
district attorney drew replies from
the railroad men that the ten mile
rule within the city limits is infre-
quently complied with, especially
when the train is late The testi-
mony showed that the trains do not
even slow down for Angleworm sta
ton, where on some days hundreds of
people cross the tracks to take boats
for across Lake Monona.
William Askew of the Askew boat
line declared that in former years on
certain occasions the trains slowed
down when they approached the boat
landing, but that in recent years they
passed Angleworm station at the u.s.
ual rate of speed. The testimony of
! Luder showed that he does not slow
down for the East Madison crossing
until he has passed Angleworm sta
ton. He said that at the boat land
ing the trains run as fast as at the
spot where Baker was killed. Luder
was asked by the coroner whether
he is taken to task if his train is
late three or four days in succession.
Luder replied in the negative, but
declared that he must give good rea-
sons for being late.
Mayor Sayle, who lives on West
Wilson street, testified that some of
the Northwestern trains passing in
the rear of his home travel quite
fast. He declared that the Milwau-
! kee road trains are operated careful
! ly between the east and west side
depots.
Mayor Sayle, Arthur J. Gill and
others recalled that teams have been
driven across the tracks at the foot
of South Hamilton street during the
winter months and that as far as they
knew the Northwestern company
never objected to it. City Clerk Nors-
man had no recollection of the foot
of the street ever having been vacat-
ed. The coroner read into the records
an ordinance which was passed by
me council April 8, 1868, giving to
the Beloit & Madison Railway COM
pany, its successors and assigns, the
right of way to lay tracks along the
shore of the lake. The right OF way
so granted was given across all inter
vening streets. The city reserved
the right to regulate the manner az