The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1925-06-18
TRAINMAN KILLED
AS CAR CRASHES
E. Fontaine, M. r.. & X.
Motornaan, Dies as Car
Jumps Tracks.
CAUSE IS UNKNOWN
Coroner Friend Starts Investi-
CATION in Strange Acct
dent Late Tuesday. !

The third violent death in as many
days was claimed late Tuesday after
noon when Ervent F. Fontaine, Mill
waukee motoifnan for the Milwaukee
Electric Railway and Light Co., died at
Kenosha hospital shortly after seven
o'clock following one of the strangest
accidents that has ever occurred here.
The motormsn was plotting special
baggage car on the Milwaukee, Racine,
and Kenosha interurban line north on
Milwaukee avenue about three-thirty
o'clock when at a point just north of
the North street intersection the large
car jumped the tracks and swerved
suddenly to the left coming into
position at right angles to the track
and crashing into telephone pole.
The pole snapped off at its base and
fell backward striking the front end
of the car directly over the spot where
Fontaine was standing, throwing the
man out of the car and onto the pave
ment head first. The rear wheels of
the car were still on the main track.
Fred Eggert, also of Milwaukee, con-
ductor on the car, and its only other
occupant, was thrown against one of
the seats of the car but was uninjured.
He rushed to the aid of the motorman.
In the meantime a large crowd had
gathered. A woman that was standing
by, Mrs. William Ehaer who gave her
address as Route Il Hastings Drive,
hailed Welner Bothe 1862 Auburn ave-
nue. passing motorist, who rushed
the unconscious form of the injured
man to the Kenosha hospital where DR..
George Pugh was called upon to at
tend him.
Found Injuries Serious.
An examination of FontaineIs condi-
ton showed that the man had suffer
ed from severe internal head injuries,
probably a conclusion of the brain,
and that he was lowering between life
and death. Every possible means was
taken to give the man every medical
care possible but he failed to regain
consciousness and began to sink rapid
ly. When it was seen that the man
was dying, frantic efforts were made
to get into communication with the
mans relatives in Milwaukee but these
could not be found on Tuesday even
ing. His death came at seven o'clock.
Coroner Joseph Friend, who was
just completing an inquest in the
municipal courtroom, was called to
the hospital to take charge of the
situation, and he Immediately enter
ed into an investigation of the de-
tails surrounding the accident. He
visited the scene of the accident on
Milwaukee avenue and together with
officials of the railroad company tried
to ascertain the cause of the cars
sudden antics. The conductor declar-
ed that the car was not travelling more
than fifteen miles an hour at the time
of the accident. An investigation here
showed that the cause was not due to
defective rails so far as could be as
certained on Tuesday night. The cars
action was described as "unaccount-
able" by the company officials.
Coroner Friend continued the in
vestigation today and declared just be-
fore noon. that he would order a for
NAL inquest held in the cause of the
death, and would probably order at
this time an autopsy in order to dis
cover the exact cause Of death.
Ervent Frank Fontaine was % years
old, and was born in Green Bay, Wis,
the son of Mr.. and Mrs. August Fon-
tame. He is survived by widow, An
geline Fontaine, and four children,
Genevieye, Viola, Clement, and Leslie,
all living at the home in Milwaukee at
773 Seventh avenue. The deceased is
also survived by two brothers and
four sisters, Archie and Eugene,
Green Bay; Mrs. Emma Povonka, New
Franklin, Wis, Mrs. Sadie Chairman
and Mrs. Pearl Telans, of Humboldt,
Wis, and Mrs. Evelyn Cartier, Green
Bay, Wis. He was employed ss a mo-
torman for the T. M. E.. R. & L. COM
pany for the past four years and was
one of the most popular Milwaukee
members of the Employees Mutual
Benefit association Of that organiza-
tion.
Definite arrangements for the fu-
neral of the deceased have not yet
been completed but it is expected that
the remains will be taken to Milwsu-
kee for interment.