The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1859-08-11

Some eight days have now elapsed since
cupidity on the Northern Railroad, near Schagh-
ticoke, and what has been done to bring the re-
sponsible parties to justice?
It ia true that investigations have been had,
and inquests held, and for once Coroners' juries
have been found to put the blame on the directors
of a railroad. But there seems to be q malign
influence exercised over all parties ia connection
with railroad slaughters in this State which
tends to shield the criminal parties. The Al
bany newspapers now are filled with apologies
for the managers of the road, and there seems to
be disposition generally to whitewash the d.
rectors, who are responsible for the homicide,
and gloss over the fearful calamity whereby q
crowd Of human beings were hurled into eter-
nifty to put money into their pockets. Whence
comes this? Perhaps it is not difficult of expla-
nation when we consider that the Central Rail.
road controls the line on which this wholesale
murder was committed 1t holds the first bonds
and mortgages Of the Northern road, and thus
may be assumed to govern its management, more
or lees, and the Central Railroad controls the
newspapers in Western and Central New York,
as well as the juries. Thus we can account for
the manifest disposition to screen the directors
from blame and punishment exhibited by the
small papers all through those parts of the State.
It is the opinion of some of the ablest lawyers
that the directors of the Northern Railroad are
not only liable to actions for damages on the
part of the families bereaved by their avarice
but are open to criminal indictments for homi-
eide, which would send them to the State prison
We will never see the end of wholesale slaugh-
ters like these until half a dozen railroad direc
tors are found breaking stone in one Of the State
prisons, with their hair cropped like other vaga-
bonds and swindlers. It has been often proved
that it is next TO impossible to get Coroner's
nagers of the road in their verdicts. This may
seem strange, for one would suppose that these
are the very parties most interested in averting
accidents, as either themselves or their families
are constantly travelling on them, and therefore
always in danger Of mutilatiou or death through
the cupidity of the directors but the influence of
railroad companies is 80 deleterious that even
the instinct Of self preservation fades before it.
In the late massacre on the Northern Railroad,
however, the case was 90 monstrous that the
Coroner's jury, in two instances, put the blame
on the shoulders of the directors. Shall they be
prosecuted, and made to suffer for the loss of life
they have inflicted?
1t is terrible to think that a giant aud infa-
nous monopoly like the Central Railroad should
be permitted to control all the interests in the
State, even to the lives of its citizens Yet so 1t
is 1t has absorbed all the smaller railroads it is
crushing out the canals, and managing nearly
all the commercial affairs of the State, aud now
it is endeavoring to control the Legislature
through its political tricksters at Albany. Eve
rywhere its malign influence has been spreading,
until at last our very lives and Limbs, as well as
our political liberties, are under its control
There is clearly but one remedy for the system
Of railroad murders now so fearfully prevalent,
and that is to send batch of directors to serve
the State honestly for once in their lives in
striped uniform and cropped hair, within the
walls of Sing Sing prison.