The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1855-12-31
The Burlington Cstassrophe.
TEAL OF fsAAC ADAMS, TIE HN0lNKER, FOR
MA


Ine 0U<unxtOu OatASsxOpnes
TBIAL OF ISAAC ADAMS, TIE EN0lNKER, FOR
. NANsLAUGHTRR.
IRON the Trenton Gazette Dec. 20
aIv MA S,,S q ,ms Gase came IN .. Mount
bench. The defen indicted 1T the Ssptemssr
tern Of the court for msnsugnsr In csasns the sesh
OF Magnet Prescott, OF The ps"enge In the train
q cars which was crushed ON the Amby road tho 18th
Of August ss with which horrible readers are
already familiar. Tbs Cout House was niisd bat not
crowded. BY spectators gen Of the
bar and press. on the latter aumssous repre-
asI hsS attracted 70 .hs spo and room Vi 20 rsps
The whole proceedings wil b- infinitely ana accurately
sss sS. Ii sis i'm Jury ou,
isw challenges being MADE. The july consists priaci
psy q .sa s. ss, e q asl
On the vsght question TO b. submit ei I, them FMS
samuel G. Middleton, John Pape
George W. Tuy, hahIgn Jo,ce,
Joseph B. Mason, Isaiah worreiI,
Josiah jones, B-nj&Din T. Lamb,
Ell Rainier, restore B. Lam,
Thn prstecuuon vas conducted by q. .. Cannon and
William Hell ed Esq's and the ueenca BY william l..
DsysSn. J. l. n. stSatson John g. leu Eyck, Esqs
The defendant, Adams, copied aseat his
about twenty eight years Of age hinsef
In court with g'sAs ssaviy anc aec,ruu.
by Issns ss the sos III.
the eeieadant stood charged and detailing tbs prnci
pal facts ard circumstances witch would oe addaced
to show that the defendans had ben gi.y OF sro.s
negligence, and thereby directly Responsible for
the death which had ensusd. He then read the
ts Law applicable to this offence, contained Ia whse
ton Greenlesf and other ciin.inal orties, and
stated that the evidence would be msny drmed by
the acts Of the defendant indicating upon part
want degree caution and attention which the
law mPeratively required dc WOULD show ~ number
l. That neither the bell nor Ut am whistle Ia the loco
motive train which onder the driendsnts control
snd direction and which was then backing rung
sounded in the manner tor tne length OF time required
vided.
2. That this train was drisen backwards by the de-
ndant this day at unsafe careless and dangerous
rate Of speed.
.. That this collision occurred within the corporate
limits OF the city of Burlington, with which ,y The
paDy have an existing contract, limiting the speed Of
trains within the city at exceeding mtles
per hour and various Other facts Giro lmstxnces
vi ch would tend 70 show negligence the part Of the
defendant.
The witness described his sgeDcy in this deporable
Afsr-that be In carrisge with his family, when
the backing train came In collision with ais
diagram Of the scene submitted explained
Cotnised. The Doctor testified that when bout hsf way
between the river and the crossing Of the railroad he
the time psed The cara to be out Of the way
contr looking carefully direction of road
IL very careful in approaching railroad tracy;
men moving in lot; could see cars ia sight no
whistle bell, or rambling OF cars, no sound what
ever an approaching train Judging the track was clear
towards Boraentown, turned ny attention tpwar sur
hngtoD pile OF Lumber and tree oy Cooks house.
about seventy PAGES from The track; continued looking
towards Burlington Cooks house L. sht near ths rail
road looked down the road passed the OF the
house to that the tracs was clear beo~; wnen
eight ten feet from The track heard little
grating noise az OF the car backing jIdge the
sound along the of the ROAD; hume iately
checked ny horses, and they made spiog into the
road; held them hard, the struck riage and
hsrses which were in The track never The
tin they struck the iage IL was hts cannon bail
Cross-exanined-Can'I recsl,ect how Log had 0een
ut Florence, huui.d ~ get through fsss as 1
could; correct my watch by raiia,sd tine; don't
1t WAS some minutes aer eleven then drivCg 1t
ten miles hour did not saeken my speed; Il took
about two minutes :, 60 from where ksd AZ my watch
TO the CROSSING then about four huuded of;
the two front side curtains up and there
thing TO obstuct our v,.w csns remesa Der "aetaer
had slack or tsut rein; saw Mrs. Cook; just had q
glance Of her. can't say II she her door out
SIDE; did not notice he maze any m0ti0as; did not
hslso me- made no effort check my horses was not
aware Of any danger had intention OF crossing
shsad Of the train, and never said | thought
would pass ahead Of this train; never saw John s.
Trick did not see him August ~ the velocity Of the
backing train must have been thirty to Hfy miles
hour only judge BY the results tried TO drive
Againss the company ny horses before his complaint
was made, but the suit Ia not pending now.
~ ~. S.sr ssne,n, a
the carrag no remark was made ao ut ears approach
ing; the Doctor looked at b.. WATCH did not to
very TAR from the railroad; the octor looking out
looked constantly to right and Left after hs took out hi
watch; Also looked out constantly, - very amid
did not hear whistle bell think would have heard IL
there had been any; did not know which ce the
we've ming did mot hear or see them till W get Within
few iees Of the track wen Doctor checked the hor:s.
horses did not the cars till they all broke
up; saw the engineer tcon sfterwsrd an
heard him say "Oh, see what have done ~
Some man replied that he mot 10 blame; he
lying down. and they tried to raiss HIM up: not
than half . mile from the railroad when Doctor
locked at bis watch don't know which Of looked out
rst for the neither heard at Cooks
passed the house; made remark at the time
TO what caused the accident; frightened; Adams
excitee and distressed; raid nothing to him; wheo
be brought in aaked what allied him; thought he
Il the wounded told he vas the nkineer;
i
blame; did NOT say 1t the time, $40 what done
have been the Of all this loss Of lie BY trying
to get before the when the Doctor took
out his watch he said after IL o'clock and the
track woulo be clear.
Thomas E. Antrim, aairmed-wss ia the carriage; Ia
father to Mrs. Heneken confirms he preceding state
menss to the watch, the time, the looking out and
the distance about half mile from the crossing, and
the not being till they srack the horses heard
bell whistle; there none; conve rsaton
kept up occasionally; can't remember what my test
moDy before this Coroncr's jury; saw woman
ming towards the railroad ut the time the collision
cured have said the engineer did blow his whis
tie don't remember telling Adams he not 10 blame.
Adam Price, sworn--Iive quarter Of a mile from tns
Of this ACCIDENT within fsry yards when the
broke up and humid red and fty from the
Ing; the train backing Gown very fast faster
than common; twenty miles hour; the destrnc-
tion OF the cars did OF Henekens carriage; there
Del whistle at the crcssing always notice
them: heard whistle when they back should
Judge the down grade the railroad here Is thirty to
forty per mile the trees aud bu shes which then OBJ
ST. ncted the view have since been cut down.
Canal Repairs-The Contract System.
The State or GERS under the authority Of law, the
Goth let repairs OF the following sections
rS nd In ter a