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Show MM FLETCHER Jk FOR FRJIGHT WBEGip Investigation Finds That EnllllC "ineer Had Mind on IUg E Visit Home. - CREWS TELL STORY I OF BAD SMASHDP: , j $0 Is Not Believed That Dead Matf .el Committed Offense of 101 Being Asleep. j ;h1SH Herbert W. Flolchor, the engineer? who waa killed in the big freight?' wreck at Thistle Junction on tho IW vcr Ss Rio Grande :it 5 o'clock Snn-i f day morning, mot death at his 0wn!i hands. i ITc alone wan responsible for tbv 'M disaster that coat his life, seriously in? .in red his nrr-in.ni, PJrncst Fredericksqnl ; and G. B. Jenkins, brakeman, and cost t0i ' the Denver & Rio Graudo .$'Ji),000 iV Lj damaged freight, cars, track and a loco-r jjfr motive. 5 JJ, This was the decision of the official' tkO of the road, headed by Ernest Stengon' r general superintendent of this division? 'J! w of tho Denver & Rio Grande, 3Honila rt. evening, when, at 6 o'clock, they con eluded a rigid investigation into the) U cause of tho wreck. 'No member ot tcdf the crews of the two freight truing t-will t-will bo held in nny way responsible I lo for the accident. Whether Engineer .fiaie Fletcher of train No. 110,1 was askW '7 or whether ho carried his train Sun' r day morning down the steep grade at? tmh Thistle Junction into the waiting coal! Lo train ahead oblivious to everything buy rW the thought of his homo going, mil!1 rc never bo known. The man's lips arc f scaled. tf He is to bo buried Tuesday afternoon' -L at 2 o'clock, and his funeral will b6i if the closing chapter of as pitiable) iM pathetic and tragic a catastrophe asHyfc W-intermountain W-intermountain railroad world known in years. . iK.H Orews Defend Fletcher. Tho crews of the trains that wigj wrecked will not entertain the idea ytt-rfl. a moment that Fletcher was aslfep iBShtf. his throttle tho one unforgivably! p offenso among tho men to whoso nerv'eSi'lrf presence of mind and caution tho rail-P5 roads entrust the lives of pasaongerfl and the safety of freight. V At the investigation conducted bv ftf Superintendent Stengor Monday after- t noon, in the absonco from the city of ik Assistant Superintendent Appereon'j j1 every member of tho two crews pressed tho opinion that thoughts oil liis homo going drovo from Fletcher 'a & g mind all realization of his train and MVI engine. This is tho officially accopted! b v theory of tho cause of the wreck, & l j and no further investigation of theac-; ? cident will be made. Ernest Frederick-, Jf? son, tho injured fireman, who is ati St. Mark's hospital, and Brakeman Jenkins were unable to appear beforo?! rat Superintendent Stcnger, owing to their -IH.?-1 "innuries. Tho men who did appear M. wero Edward C. Oloukey, conductor of St train No. 1.193. the rear freight, an(i5Lh, Brakeman Harry McNamus of ihatny train; Engineer Cowan and Conductori'iCj i Slooy of train No. 11SS, with A. A.Jii Anthony, fireman of that train, andji'ad! Brakcmeu Hayes and Shurtliff. Story of Wreck. '4 c Theso men retold the story of tho Sfor wreck. The collision took place on thoi main lino of tho big curvo at Thistlot Junction, and neither the wrecked freight and coal cars or the wrecked: a jr cngino went into the river. eviit Fireman Fredericksou and Brakomanj ' Jenkins have already told their stories,1; and can add no more light lo Fletcher's; j actions provious to the collision, ac-' aUlc cording to the officials of tho roapj nj. present at Mouda' afternoon's investiy S; Un gation. fl Railroaders not familiar with tht'. place where tho collision occurred . Monday advanced the opinion that! the conductor of train No. 1138 should) have sent a flagman back along tho'; acd road to stop "Fletcher's train until Io at , 1138 could have mado tho sidetrack. . Jjj Whether or not Fletcher would hy tMlct noticed the flagman-is immaterial, for;,,. the rear cud of No. 113S was insido tho;-limits tho;-limits of tho vards at Thistlo June-i! k; (ha tion station, and the yard limit poBlj eft would have stood protection for them, under ordinary circumstances. 1 ' Only sympathy is expressed for tn Ja dead engineer and for his widow ana rftn children by the men and officials or in( the Eio Grande. The funeral will b tJnt held Tucsdav afternoon at 2 o'clocK tnjo from tho chapel in Evans's underlay -Kn injr establishment. Tho local Iddgo of Elks will havo charge of the services, and burial will be in Mt. Olivet cemc- Wfl, Mrs. Fletcher and children will afc yi tend the services, the widow and little. 7 0i daughter having recovered from their ftin illness sufficiently for this. . .1 uttnu The wreckers cleared tho mam. una i(itFc of tho Denver & Rio Grande aboul tn noon Monday, and trains went throinjl! jora on schedule time after that time. . |