A Meat Delivery Ends Beneath a Freight Train in Old Town

John Flynn, a native of New York state, aged 51, was run over by a Northern Pacific freight train at Old Town at 7:30 o'clock this morning and instantly killed. The train was made up of heavily loaded cars and was being backed up to the smelter by switch engine No. 938. Conductor B. Mannray and Brakeman C. A. Connor were on the rear car. As the train approached a spot opposite Crawford & Reid's shipyard, at the foot of McCarver Street, Flynn was seen by the train crew, about a block away, carrying some meat on his back. They shouted to him to get out of the way and some of the ship carpenters, who saw both Flynn and the approaching train, also called to him. The man paid no attention to their cries. When the train was within a car's length the conductor signaled the engineer to stop and Flynn turned partially around, as if to walk off the track. He started too late, as the car struck him just as he stepped over the rail. The wheels ran lengthwise over his body and what a moment before was a human form was instantly changed to pieces of bleeding flesh and mangled vital organs, scattered for 200 feet along the track. The train came to a standstill after running about 400 feet. The quivering, bleeding pieces of flesh were gathered up and afterwards taken in charge by Deputy Coroner Mellinger. Flynn had been around Old Town several months. He was a member of the Sailors' Union of the Pacific and lately had been doing odd jobs at The Resort saloon. He had been up and drinking all last night, and this morning R. W. Uhlman of the City meat market hired him to carry about 60 pounds of beef down to the barkentine G. S. Wiley. Mr. Uhlman said that when Flynn left his shop with the meat he was sober and he could not account for the man's failure to get out of the way, for he could hear well enough. Coroner E. M. Drown stated that he thought no inquest would be held, as there was no mystery about the manner of the man's death, nor was it caused by criminal negligence. This part of the Northern Pacific track is used as a thoroughfare by many people, and never a train passes but what from one to a dozen people have to get off the track. Flynn's remains will be buried by the seamen's union. So far as known he had no relatives here.