The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1923-10-18
Investigation Fails to Reveal Who Left Gate
to the Pasture Open Causing Killing
of Cattle by Train.
RAILROAD COMPANY SENDS AGENT
County Officials Expect ST. Paul Line to Pay for Cattle
Killed - Appraised Worth $3.50 by
Three Appraisers Saturday.
WHO &c the gate open ?

Who left the gate open?
An answer TO that question is be-
ing sought by Kenosha County Off
Gals and by the claim agent of the
Chicago, Milwaukee and st. Paul Rail
road who today were finishing up
their investigation into the cause of
the accident which occurred Saturday
morning when a speeding passenger
train Of the company plowed its way
through a herd of seventy-five head of
cattle, belonging to the county farm,
killing eleven of them instantly and
so severely naming five others that
they had to be killed.
The gate in question is the one
leading from the pasture in which the
herd was grazing to the right of way
of the company. 1t was found open
by workmen who first saw the cat
tie on the tracks and who attempted
in vain to drive them out of the path
of the approaching train.
Probably Stray Hunter.
No employee at the county farm had
been near the gate for several days.
It had been securely fastened by a
log chain which must have been I'M
, latched shortly before the accident
giving the cattle the opportunity to
stray onto the tracks. An agent of
the railway company is certain that he
passed the pasture less than a half
hour before the train plowed through
the herd and he knows that at that
time the gate was closed and firmly
locked.
There are three pastures adjoining
the railway tracks in the county farm,
two on the east side of the tracks adj
joining each other and the third across
the tracks. The cattle were in the
north pasture on the east side and
broke through the fence into the south
pasture. There, it appears, the gate
was open and they strayed on the
tracks attempting to go over into the
pasture on the west side of the rail-
way. Since the gate there was closed
they were trapped on the tracks.
Hunter May Have Done 1t.
The only solution which the probers
have been able to find is that some
stray hunter passed through the gate
and neglected to close it. No one
appears to have seen such a hunter
nor has anyone volunteered to admit
that he was the party guilty of this
negligence but this seems. to be the
only solution.
The question may figure in the set
Element of damages which the county
suffered because of the loss of the
herd. Three appraisers were appoint
ed on Saturday morning John
Wertz, Ray Edwards and William Bart
er. They set the value of the cattle
at $135 a head or total of $3.50.
After the accident County Humane
Officer James Karnes, ST.. was call
ed to the scene and at his direction,
three of the cows, whose injuries were
such as to warrant Che action, were
ordered shot. The bodies of the three
were sold for $40 and this money was
turned over to the railway claim
agent. The fact that he accepted it is
taken as basis for belief on the part
of county officials that the railway
company will make settlement for the
loss sustained by the county.
Must Keep Up Fences.
The law covering such cases stipu-