The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-04-02
Witnesses Tell of Eckfeld's
Suspicious Actions on
Day of Death.
FIND A BLOODY GLASS
Man Killed at Balm Station
May Have Tried to Commit
Suicide Before Accident.

Did Julius Eckfield attempt to COM
mitt suicide with a small piece Of
sharp pointed glass, and failing in this
hurl himself into moving freight
train in order to end his life?
Or did Julius Eckfeld attempt to
hop the train for ride and then fall
and so lose his life?
These were some of the several
questions that were asked and remain
ed unanswered at the coroner's in
quest into the circumstances under
which Julius Eckfeld met his death
on the afternoon of Wednesday, March
%, near the Balm station of the Chi
cago and Northwestern railroad
freight line west of Kenosha. After
hearing evidence presented to the
jury by several witnesses-none of
whom, however, saw the actual moves
which resulted in the mans death
the coroner's jury brought in a YER
diet declaring that Julius Eckfeld
met his death accidentally and by
causes unknown to the jury"
Discuss Probable Suicide Theory.
There are many theories that were
advanced in the course of the inquest
but to none of these did the evidence
presented in the testimony lend any
authenticity that could lead the jury
to make definite charge in its YER
diet.
The most important evidence intro
duced was a small piece of blood
covered glass about six inches long
and two inches wide, with a sharp
point at one end. This was picked up
near the scene of the mans death by
"A. E. Trout, in charge of the signal
tower at Balm station. Trout, whose
home is at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, testi-
fed that he had seen the deceased
about an hour before the fatal acct
dent when he had noticed that the
man was acting queer. AT that time,
Trout said, he thought the man was
drunk and was trying to vomit. He
noticed that he would put his hand to
his mouth and then lie down and roll
over and according to the witness this
was done three times. He also noticed
that the hand of the man appeared as
though it were covered with blood. The
man would attempt to climb under a
fiat car and failing in finding COM
Portable place appeared to come out
again and go through the same mo-
tions, None of these motions the wit
ness could explain.
Had Large Hole In Abdomen.
DIR. H, A. Robinson who was called
to examine the body of the deceased
told of the wounds he found. The
mans skull had been fractured and
there was a deep wound on the left
side of the abdomen which might have
been caused, he testified, by some such
instrument as the piece of glass en-
tered as evidence.
other witnesses gave additional
facts which added little light to the
circumstances. Judge John G. Slater
told the coroner's jury of finding the
body near Balm station after he had
been called to the scene in the absence
of the coroner. Papers and other
cards found among the mans effects
proved his identity as julius Eckfield,
a bricklayer of Chicago, he said.
Michael j. Doyle Of Milwaukee, To-
connective engineer on the freight train
which it is believed figured in the
death of the man, told the jury that
he did not learn that man had been
killed until six o'clock of the next
evening-March 26-on his return trip
through Balm station. w. ]. Grau of
Racine, fireman, also declared that he
was ignorant of the fact that a man
had been killed until the next evening
when he had seen the article concern
ing the accident in a copy of the Ke-
nosha Evening News, on the counter
of the restaurant at Balm station.
Track Laborers Testify.
John James and John Jekas, track
laborers at Balm station on the after
noon of the accident, testified to find
ing the body of the dead man few
minutes after he had been observed
sleeping on a bench near the main
tracks of the railroad.
With no testimony from any eye
witness the coroner's jury refused to
find a definite cause for death and
gave the verdict Of accidental death by
causes unknown.