Details of Railway Accidents in the Ottawa Area

1938, August 14 - Man killed by train at Perth, CPR., Belleville sub.

Ottawa Citizen 15 August 1938 PERTH. Ont  Aug. 14. Paul Contant of Pembroke, aged 61 years, an inmate of the Lanark County House of Industry at Perth, was instantly killed near Brooke, about five miles from Perth, this morning, when he was struck by a C.P.R. passenger train due at Perth at five o'clock. Contant was admitted to the House of Industry on July 20, and frequently went for a stroll on the road near the home. He left last night after supper and when he did not return within a reasonable time, Manager R.J. Duffy went in search of the man. He was last seen about three miles from the home but all efforts failed to locate the man until this morning when Mr. Duffy was notified he had been found with life extinct near Brooke. Local police were notified by Trainman A. Shelson of Toronto, and an inquest was opened today with Dr. H.C. Hagyard presiding and the following jury empanelled - N.E. Dodds, foreman, A.M. Johnston, J.J. Smith, Ambrose Conlon, C. Farnell, Jas. Olossop. W.E. Wright and Rev. D. Elliott. The inquest was adjourned until Tuesday, Aug. 16. Contant was a resident of Pembroke for 25 years and gave the name of Mrs. Joseph Lepine, 226 Wilfred street, Pembroke, to be notified in case of accident or death. The man was seen by the engineer and brakeman of the train and was in a sitting position on the track near a cross-road and when found was lying between the rails with a bad head injury. Life was extinct. Ottawa Citizen 18 August 1938 Find Man Threw Himself Before Speeding Train PERTH, Out., Aug. 16. Coroner H. C. Hagyard presided over the death of Paul Contant of Pembroke, an inmate of the Lanark county House of Industry, who was killed about five miles west of Perth by passenger train No. 34 on Sunday morning. The jury found that the man was in an unsound state of mind and deliberately threw himself in front of the train. Engineer Charles Patterson gave evidence, stating that he saw the man run onto the tracks and towards the engine in a crouching position. Other witnesses called were Manager R. J. Duffy of the House of Industry and brakeman Albert Shelton of Toronto. The bodv was taken to Pembroke for burial.

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Updated 6 June 2021