Coroner's Jury Blames Conductors for Tragic Rail Death
A Lewis County jury finds two men negligent in the death of Robert John Turnbull, who was killed by a train near Napavine.
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The coroner's jury in the case of Robert John Turnbull, who was killed on June 2 near Napavine, has returned a verdict of negligence against Conductor Patrick Ambrose and Brakeman W. F. Askew. The jury concluded that Turnbull was killed when train No. 2 ran over him one-quarter mile north of the Napavine depot. The verdict specifically holds the railway employees accountable for the fatal accident.
“Came to his death by car No. 219 running over his neck, nearly severing his head from his body, through the negligence of Conductor Patrick Ambrose and Brakeman W. F. Askew.”
Accidents along the rail corridors of Lewis County were frequent, and this verdict highlights the growing pressure on companies to ensure worker and pedestrian safety at a time when the railroad was the backbone of regional life.
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