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Show BSWHEflflNIKPUDfTEP.---IN BEfiTH CT ATKINSON IN CORONER'S INQUEST The Coroner's inquest over the body of John L. Atkinson, the man who was found dead near the Oregon Short Line near Layton last Thursday morning, was commenced yesterday afternoon at Kaysville. But two witnesses were examined, both railroad men. One implicates a brakeman of ' a freight train named Merrill as the probable assassin. Conductor K. 8. Hill testified that Atkinson boarded his train at the O. 8. L. depot Wednesday evening. The man had a ticket to Ravsville. When the train reached that station Atkinson got off, but as the train started got on again and told the witness that he wished to get off at Layton. Hill informed him that the train did not stop again until it got to Ogden, and that it would be necessary for him to pay his fare to that point. According Accord-ing to the testimony of Hill, Atkinson informed him that he had no money. He rode on the train until it stopped at Syracuse to let a freight train pass, at which point he left the train. Brakeman F. J. Hosmaster testified that he saw Atkinson in conversation with the engineer of the freight train before it pulled out of the switch for the south. He did not know if Atkinson got on the train or not. In answer to several questions the witness said that it was the custom of brakemen to collect col-lect money from transients who rode on the train, and that if they did not have it to put them off. He said that the head brakeman on the southbound .freight was a man named Merrill, who. according to the witness, quit his job when the train reached Salt Lake. According to the witness Merrill left his clothing in the caboose, and it is there still. The hearing will be resumed today. According to the story told by John Laughlan, a cook at Garfield, last night, Atkins6n had money when he left on the fatal trip. Laughlan asserts that Atkinson offered to lend him $10 just before he got on the train;, but as ne, Laughlan, had no immediate need of the money, he did not take it. Laughlan further says that Atkinson had trouble with two men at Vuo smelter smel-ter city some time ago, and (hat they had made threats against him, Laughlan Laugh-lan says that he believes that Atkinson was murdered. Atkinson carried two life insurance policies for $2500 each. One is made out in favor of bis father, and the other in favor of his mother. |