This Story Took Place During the Summer of 1953
Erie had a Burlington Railroad switch track. It ran north and south from Anderson St. to Wells St. During the sugar beet season, it was used to store empty gondolas. The switch track was ideal most of the year. On occasion, the railroad would sidetrack a boxcar. Boxcar shipments were rare. The only infrequent customer for high-volume loads was Hogsett Lumber, an Erie business. I was familiar with Hogsett receiving merchandise by rail because, from time to time, I was hired to help unload. Unloading was a hard job, especially for a 14-year-old kid. The back-breaking merchandise I remember was 100# bags of cement or pre-cut lumber. We unloaded product out of the boxcar side door on a flatbed truck. I only recollect the boxcars in the summer. There was a time pressure to unload. Burlington only allowed three days, or additional charges would apply.
One day, a boxcar was placed on the switch track for Hogsett Lumber. The business manager had to go to the train depot and sign for the boxcar. His next step was to hire two or three kids to unload. I was one of the kids on his list. The seal was cut loose from the boxcar door. A dreadful smell was immediately noticed as soon as the door was opened. The manager climbed over lumber to investigate. He then crawled back out and slid the door closed. We were told that there was no work today and to go home. None of us were aware of what had happened.
I soon found out what was going on rather quickly. My mother was the local telephone office manager. The telephone office was the information center for everything that happened in Erie. The Hogsett manager asked my mother to locate the town sheriff. He had informed my mother that a dead body was in the boxcar. (Later, I was told that the body was kiln-dried, just like lumber, due to the long trip, enclosed space, and heat build-up.) The sheriff was also the town maintenance man, busy grading dirt streets. I was dispatched to find him. I got on my bike and searched the streets to locate him. I located him busy at work. After being informed, he drove the town grader directly to the side rail. News travels like wildfire in a small town, most likely by telephone operators. When the sheriff arrived, several people were gathering near the railcar. The sheriff and another man crawled over the lumber. Very soon, they reappeared at the door. The smell must have hastened their investigation.
A guard was placed outside the boxcar. The town cop drove the grader back to the maintenance garage. He then notified the Weld County Sheriff’s Office. Rather quickly, several investigators were at the scene. It was determined that the crime was committed when the boxcar was loaded, and the door sealed. Also, railroad crime and interstate crime involved the FBI. Within hours, the FBI was on the scene, dispersed the crowd, and controlled the area. The solution was to close the boxcar, reseal the door, and return it to the sender. They said the crime would be investigated upon its return.
