The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1916-12-26
Napoleon Lafower Was a
Passenger from Barre
to the Quarries
MAN LAY
IN SNO fOR HOUR
On Retur rip Trainmen
Saw H Z and Brought
Him : che Hospital

At st. Sylvester's church in Granite
vile this forenoon funeral services were
held for Napoleon Lailower. whose death
IN the City hospital Sunday morning fol-
lowed injuries received in mysterious
manner near the switchback on the Barre
q Chelsea railroad Saturday night. The
parish priest, Rev. Joseph Turcot. was
the officiating clergyman. The funeral
party gathered in the church at . o'clock
and after the services the body was tax
en- to South Barre for interment in the
new 81. Sylyester's cemetery. The bear
ers were Fred, John, Henry and Edward
Rubie.
There remains an element Of mystery
in the death, although the authorities
and the train crew in charge of the regu-
lar Saturday night passenger train to
Milestone hill are generally satisfied that
Lafiower met death either while trying
to alight from the train or when he was
attempting to get aboard after mistaking
the stop at the switchback for the usual
halt at Bonds crossing, near Webster
vile. The man spent the afternoon in
the city Saturday and was one of a
crowd of holiday shoppers who got
aboard the weekend hill train at the NJ.
x w. k. station around 5.20 o'clock. He
told Conductor Frank Blouin that he
wished to leave the train at Bonds cross
ing, which is not far from the home of
his sister, Mrs. Mayo, in lower Webster
vile. Then he Joined other passengers in
the smoking coach and that, so far as the
trainmen were concerned, was the last
they saw of him until his mangled body
was picked up at the foot of bank near
the switehback an hour afterward
While the brakemen are shifting the
switches preparatory to the second long
pull upgrade, which begins at the switch
back, the train stops for few moments.
This stop was made Saturday night and
it is believed that Lafower, in a moment
of confusion thought that the train had
reached Bonds crossing. When the train
finally halted at the crossing, Lafiower
was not among the passengers who
alighted from the smoking coach. At
Webstervile. East Barre and Granite
vile the usual quota of Saturday night
passengers were awaiting the arrival of
the train.
On the return trip to the city the train
stopped once more at the switchback,
this time to wait for the fireman and his
helpers to take on coal. Scarcely had the
train stopped when Engineer William
Rivait, glancing down the bank ON the
west side of the track saw a dark OBJ
iect that resembled the body of man.
Conductor Bloun, Fireman w. Clark and
Brakemen c.. W. Smith and George Co
loumb were soon joining the engineer in
his descent down the bank. Lying in the
snow at the base of the incline they
found Lafower. A glance convinced
them that he was in grave condition
and without waiting to take on coal, the
crew got aboard and hurried the train to
Barre.
At the station DIR. j. w. Stewart and
an ambulance were called. Lafower was
taken to the hospital. A eursory exam
nation disclosed triangular scalp
wound and contusions about the chest
that indicated internal injuries. Laflow-
or was in a semi-conscious state when
the trainmen reached him at the switch
back and after he reached the hospital he
appeared to have regained his senses
fully. although he was unable to remem-
to his discovery in the snow at the
.witchback Grand Juror William Wish
,rt had been notified of the affair and in
he absence of the states attorney, he
,eted for the state. Efforts were made
% get a coherent story from the man,
,ut if he recalled any of the incidents
hat might have figured in dis injuries.
10 did not describe them to the authori
les. He suffered considerably from the
hest wounds and as the evening wore on
lis breathing became more and more dit
Icult. At 1880 o'clock Sunday morning
lie passed away.
Meanwhile the dead mans sister had
,een advised of the affair and she lost no
ime in reaching the city. Early in the
morning the body was removed from the
ospital and in the afternoon Health Of
Ger Stewart directed an autopsy over
he remains. The post mortem examina-
ion confirmed the earlier diagnosis that
he most serious injuries were of an in
ernal nature. Three ribs had been frae-
ured and the lower lobe of one lung was
unetured by the bone protuberances.
Soon after the train arrived in Barre,
eneral Manager J. y. Gall ordered
,reful examination and members of the
rain crew were questioned concerning
heir knowledge of the mans condition
was evident that his injuries, if they
ere caused by contact with the train.
ID not proceed from any negligence on
le part of the trainmen, and the testi-
lonv of the men seemed to strengthen
,e theory that Laflower. mistaking the
vitchback stop for Bonds crossing, lett
10 train. took note of the unfamiliar
,rroundings and then tried TO get aboard
rain. Just as the quarry train takes
le long grade leading from the switch
ick the engineer puts on full steam and
is likely that the fireman, had he not
zen busy shoveling coal. would have no
oed Laiower living in the snow. On the
turn trip. however, the engineer was
the opposite side OF the cab and IN
ancine through the window saw the
'dy plainly.
The dead man was a native Of Coopers-
lie. y. Y. and came to Barre Town Il
no had hen