Pueblo chieftain., 1921-03-17

INQUEST OF
CORONA FIRE
Continued from Page one)


the train left Pueblo.
| Tho testimony developed the fact
that the Baker heater was located in
the right hand sido of the coac1.'
and that when It was fired. coal was
used. The testimony also brought into
| question a jar of formaldehydc. used
for fumigation. and its possible pres
ence in the car, and the possibility of
It exploding under intense heat. Both
| the Pullman conductor and the porter
failed to determine positively which
locker the formaldehyde might bo To-
Gated in.
Then the question of formaldehyde
fumes was brought up. All trainmen
testified to not noticing the odor of
the fluid. but none had ever had
the experience Of the odor of burning
formaldahyde. 1t was brought out that
the car was electrically lighted.
| The testimony showed that the fire.
also. started in the right hand cor
| Train Conductor Nixon stated that
he was in the smoking car on the
forward part OF the train. The Pull
man conductor stated that he found
the fire and notified the train conduc-
tor. and that both started back to
investigate. The engineer. ]. F. Gar
| rett, stated that he received no signal
| to stop the train. but that his fire
man looked back along the train and
| said: Gee whiz. from the looks of
the sparks. this train must be on fire. -
or something to that effect. Tho en-
ginecr then brought the train to a
halt.
The conductors reached the scene, It
was evident from the testimony, at
about the time that the fireman no.
ticed the sparks.
Scales, the faEman, testified that
he was on his station, in the smoking
compartment of the Corona and that
he noticed smoke He hurried out in
TO the aisle, saw the blaze. shouted at
the top of his voice, and opened the
outside door, as an aid for exit. He
returned Immediately. and passed the
porter, going out. The fumes beat
him back, but he returned a third time.
saw the body of a large man lying in
the aisle and dragged 1t to the turn
OF the aisle. This man is supposed
to be Jack, the cattleman from la
Jara. The body became wcdged in the
turn, when, lighting tho flames that
threatened to overcome him. Scales
was forced to hurry or lose his life.
The flames were beating in his face.
he stated. as he left
Tho coroner's jury is composed of
six men: J. S. Wiser. II. C. sum
mers, Robt- Young. Adah Unfug, ]. w.
Sears and Eugene Height DIR. Aubcrt
Durnall is coroner.
The matter OF the burial OF the -cm-
nants of bodies Is topic of grave
consideration. Exact Identification OF
one above another is practically I'M
possible. The plan is advanced by
Denver and RIO 0rande Official. that
the burial be made in a common grave.
at walscnbcrg, or at the sccnc OF the
wreck, and the spot marked with .
bronze tablet However. this has not
been agreed to by the relatives of
those accepted as dead.
All concerned asreo that flvc per-
sons met their deaths In the disaster.
aitho nothing has been found to pos
itively link either Miller or Downey in
tho holocaust. A pocket knife. bear
ing the name of Roberts, johnson *
Rand. shoe company. is believed 20
have been the property OF Downcy.
Tho winding spool OF small. porta BILE
typewriter. and the part OF u charred
order book. is also accepted as his
property.
The hearing was held in the county
court room, at Walscnberg. and the
room was crowded. The smoke
cts were spread out on the judges
desk Tho hotel is crowded with per-
sons attending the trial, trainmcn and
those seeking trace OF loved ones.
The fact that Francis s. Spcciman
0led IN tne ChtIstfOpNc was yesterday
morning settled beyond reasonable
doubt.
Several articles, known TO have been
| Speelman's were identified by c. M
Cox. general agent OF the Missouri
Pacific railway, yesterday morning ut
| Walscnbcrg. one was n bunch of 8
| or 10 keys, oxidizod thru the intense
heat OF the burning sleeper: a watch
| charm, known TO have been tho prop
| erty of Speclnan; an oldstylc razor.
| OF peculiar pattern, and the case and
rims of a pair OF spcctacles. OF unusual
! shape.
speelman vas one OF Pueblo's best
I known railroad men. During the past
year, he has been here in tho position
of travelling freight agent OF the Mis-
| souri, Pacific railway, coming here from
| Monte Vista, where he had been sta
| toned for some time, and prior to that
he was with tho same company, IN
| Pueblo. for about Ii years. Altogeth-
or, his term of service with the road
had been over a period of nearly 20
years.
His family recently came to Pueblo,
and, pending n permanent residence,
have been stopping at the De Remer
hotel.
| Ho is survived by his widow and
three children. Marion, age II; Mar
garet. age S. and Janet, age }. Also
| by an ager father, residence in St
Joseph, Missouri; two brothers, James
| s. Speelman, of Kansas City, and G.
l.. speclman, Of Washington; a sister,
residing with the father at st. Joseph.
speelman was a member OF a Masonic
| lodge at Dallas. Texas, where he at
one time resided.
Previous to the first time tho Sreei-
man family came here. they had lived
in Louisiana, Texas and Wyoming.
| Speclman's work being of such a ma
ture that he must constantly move.
| After leaving Pueblo n year ago. they
spent several months at Monte Vista.
| in tho San Luis valley. Spcelman
was on his way to Monte Vista Tues
day morning when he met his death.
having been sent there to make ar
rangements for handling the potato