Douglas daily dispatch., 1926-12-07
WESTERN union
MAN KILLED BY
TRAIN SUNDAY


Carl w. Welter, age %, of Fort
Wayne. Ind, employed with a West.
ern Union line gang engaged in
stringing wire east of Douglas, was
a Southern Pacific freight train as
it passed the line camp near College
peak about 1890 Sunday morning.
Wel.er's body was placed aboard the
train and brought to \ Douglas. A
coroner's inquest held Sunday after
noon rendered verdict that Welter
came to his death accidentally.
According to the testimony of wit
nesses, Weller was killed as the re-
suit of a boyish prank in trying TO
catch the passing train, lie wore
neither a hat nor coat at the time
he was killed and had no intention
of coming to Douglas Sunday. He
attempted to catch the train on the
outside of a curve, in such posi-
ton that he could not be seen by
any members of the train crew. The
first that the members of the train
crew knew of the accident was when
Conductor Charles Lewis noticed
Welters fellow workmen signaling
as the caboose passed the camp.
Lewis stopped the train at once by
setting ,he air and Welter's body
was brought to Douglas in the
caboose.
The train was in charge of Con-
ductor Charles Lewis, Engineer Ben
Cravey, Fireman G. H. Staymates
| and brakesmen A. q. Calhoun, a.
Kelly and ]. T. Cole. None of these
| men knew anything of the accident
| until Lewis noticed Welter's COM
I panions signaling and set the air.
/, James Aarhus, a fellow workman of
! Welter's, and Mrs. John Reese, wife
! of the cook employed at the camp,
witnessed the accident. Mrs. Reese
| made the following statement con-
cerning il:
st knew Welter and saw him
few minutes before the accident in
which he was killed. He tried to
get on the train as it passed the
camp. He caught with one hand and
was thrown to the ground. I called
out and ran to him. 1 do not think
! the wheels struck him."
According to the testimony of the
! tram crew, the train was IidNOAIiS
between Is and 20 miles an hour
when the accident occurred. Neither
the engineer nor fireman saw Well
! ter as the locomotive passed him
and Aarhus testified that Welter
left him to try and catch the train
as it was passing. 1t is believed
that Welter intended to ride only a
short distance and then leave the
! train.
All the witnesses agreed that We'll
ter had no intention of riding the
train for any distance. Fred Clark,
assistant foreman of the Western
| Union line gang with which Welter
was employed, stated: my idea is
thatN Welter was just playing in try
ing to catch the train when he was
killed"
The body was taken to the Porter
and Ames mortuary upon. it's arrival
in Douglas and q report made to
the authorities. Witnesses to the
accident were seen by 0. A. Ash
constable, and eoroner's inquest
under the direction of Sam Yarnell
justice of the peace, was held at the
city hall Sunday afternoon. The Of
ficial verdict of the jury was "That
Carl Lewis Welter met his death
accidentally while trying to catch q
) freight train on the Southern Pacific
near College peak" The coroner's
jury was composed of James Schup-
{ bach, Joe Loven, Ben Best, But
Z Sparks, w. d. Maddox and w. c
Howard.
Welter was veteran of the
World war and participated in al
| five of the major engagements il
: which the American forces took part
Ais only known relative is his mother
: Mrs. Minerva Welter, residing a
1909 West Main street, Fort Wayne
Ind The body is being cared for al
; the Porter and Ames mortuary anC
will probably be shipped to For
. Wayne for burial
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