Patterson Cemetery District, Stanislaus County, CA 

Submitted by Gale Stroud and Burta Herger 26 Aug 2007

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Frank Borges 370115 p1
Frank Borges, Two Others, Instantly Killed Near Crows Landing; In the worst crossing crash in recent years, three lives
were instantly snuffed out yesterday when the south-bound passenger train, No. 240, hit at full speed a sedan driven by
Frank Borges, Patterson dairyman for many years, at a private crossing two miles north of Newman. With Borges were
Mrs. Emilia Frances, his housekeeper and Mike J. Sequeira, whose ranch they had just left.  All three were frightfully
mangled, making identification by even close friends difficult.  Borges and Mrs. Francis were thrown from the car while
Sequeira's body was imbedded on the twisted engine pilot in the midst of the splintered car. Borges formerly resided in
the south end of Patterson Colony, near the Ghisletta ranch, and it was to this point that the group were traveling when
struck.  They had left the Sequeira ranch and reached the private crossing from the east just as the fast-moving passenger
bore down upon them with its whistle screaming and brakes screeching, to strike the car squarely in the middle.  None of
the three apparently saw the approaching train, which was running some thirty-five minutes late. The car, together with
Sequeira's body, was carried a quarter of a mile before the light train could be stopped by Engineer Dave Welch.  F. T.
McGinnis, editor of the West Side Index at Newman, had barely passed the crossing where it enters the Crows
Landing-Newman highway when he heard the loud report of the smash and then the engine, with its gruesome load,
flashed by him.  Identifying the car by its license certificate, he rushed to Newman to notify authorities of the mishap.
The three bodies of the victims were taken to the Davis Funeral Chapel at Newman.  A section crew was called to remove
the wreckage and make emergency repairs on the engine, so that the train could proceed southward.   Conductor Martin
O'Neil, veteran of many years service on the West Side, was in charge of the train. Borges was about 84 years of age and
resided here until his house burned about three months ago, when he left to work for Sequeira, returning here twice daily
to milk  his few cows.  His wife, with two children, reside in San Francisco.  Mrs. Francis had been his housekeeper both
at Patterson and at Newman, according to the statements of neighbors, and came to Patterson from Pinole, where relatives
reside.  She was about 35 years of age.  She apparently had received the full force of the impact as her clothes had been
stripped from her body and the entire torso terribly mutilated. Sequeira. a single man, was 38 years old.  A twist of fate
placed him in the fatal car.  Light showers had prevented him doing his usual work in the field, so he volunteered to
accompany Borges and assist with the milking of his cows.