Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1869-10-20
GEO, B. GOoDLANDER, Proprietor.
CLEARFIELD, PA.
TRIAL OF ENGINEER GRIFFIN.

The great railroad disaster which
occurred on the New York and Erie
Railroad, in Pike county, in this State.
and the trial of the Engineer, has
attracted universal attention through.
on. the country. Below we repro
duce, from tho Port Jcrvis On. "
Gd-ette, the leading facts in tho case /:
The September Term Of the Pike
county penn Courts opened at Nil.
ford on Monday, the goth ultimo, his
Honor George r. Barrett, President
Judge Of the 22d Judicial District.
presiding; George p. Heller and vii.
liam Westfall, Esqs Associates.
The case of Engineer James Griffin,
under arrest for criminal negligence in
causing the railroad disaster at Mast
Hope, on the l4th of July last, by
which seven lives were lost, was
brought to the attention of the Grand
Jury, by John D. Biddis, Esq, District
Attorney. The Grand Jury came into
Court on the 2lst (Tuesday) having
found an indictment against the said
Grlliln Tor misdemeanor, under railroad
law OF 1855 conviction under said act
involving the penalty OF Imprisonment
in the State Penitentiary for term
not exceeding five years and fine not
exceeding $4,000.
On the 22d Wednesday, Griffin was
arraigncd, and pleaded mot guilty"
TO the charge, and the trial was com
menced A formidable array of coun-
sci appeared in the case-for the Com
monwealth, J. d. Biddis, ESQ, District
Attorney; Hon. ID. NJ. Van Auken, of
Milford William II. Jcssup, Esq, of
Montrose, and S. Il. Dimmick, ESQ,
of Honesdale George Il, Rust, Esq,
an officer of the Eric Railway Com.
pany, aud J. NJ. Allerton, ESQ, an
attorney for the Company, were pres.
ent in Court assisting in conducting
the prosecution. The prisoners coun.
sci were; Hon. Geo. W. Woodward, of
Wilkesbarre; Ralph W. Little, ESQ,
Of Montrose, and John Nycc, Esq.
Tho following persons were impan
nelled as a jury TO try the case Peter
Wagner, Joseph G. Littimore, Randall
Kelly, Isaac W. Van Gordon, George
Pearson, John p. Lee, John Gould,
John W. Frazier, Nelson Dewitt, Frank
Riley, Albert $. Jaeger, Oliver Pellctt
The Courtroom was densely tbrong-
ed with spectators, among whom were
many ladies', and the deepest intercs.
mas ner;fsstsd in the cnso Aroona
those present wero Grillin's wife and
two children, and q number of his
friends from Susquehanna Depot,
where he resides. Griffin himself, a
well-appearing, middle-sized man, sat
by the side of his counsel, paying close
attention TO the proceedings, and
evidently anxious in mind as to the
result.
Mr.. Jessup opened the case for the
Commonwealth with brief statement
of tho alleged facts in the case as bear
ing against the prisoner, which the
prosecution expected TO prove, and
upon which they would ask for the
prisoners conviction of the misde.
meaneor MS set forth in the indictment.
Testimony of Chas. Coffee, engineer
of the passenger train:
Charles Coffee sworn says / was
engineer running train west, Left
Port Jcrvis at lO;4O p. m; was 2S
minutes late. l ran the distance from
Port Jervis to Mast Hopes miles
in one hour. When | came to Mast
Hope, gave the station signal, long
whistle; about half or three-quarters
of mile from the station, | should
judge. | saw freight train standing
on the switch. When | passed the
caboose did not see anything wrong.
Could not at that time see head Of
freight train. don't think that was
over forty feet from freight engine
when | saw her. | did not do any.
thing, it flashed across my mind there
would be smash up 1t was almost
two seconds from the time | saw
freight engine on the frog until the
collision. Ny engine struck the for.
ward part Of the cylinders of the
freight engine, about seven feet from
the bumper. At the time Of the col
lision / was sitting on cushion on my
scat We were upset, and was
thrown / don't know how. | found
myself on my head and shoulders, with
my feet up, near my engine. ! got
out and stood up; next my fireman
appeared before me, his overalls and
clothes IN flames. ! put out the blaze
with my hands, and next thought to
put out the fire from the coal box
which was near the engine. The ex.
press and baggage cars wero on fire
| went TO get over fence near the
depot, but was so weak could not do
it. ran around the depot and went
to the hotel TO get pail of water.
hallooed and raped on the door for
water Finally lady got up, let nc
in, gave me a pail, told me there was
water in the kitchen. Took the pail,
ran TO the wreck, and threw water on
the fire, and then ran for another pail
of water. Then saw the Gre was
burning too rapidly for me to put out
alone called for help, but received
none. Then went to getting out bag
gage and express matter. The FIRE
was not in the smoking car when
got back with my second pail of wa.
ter; at that time the fire was at east
end Of depot, between engine and cars
smashed. ! worked at taking out
baggage till the fire drove me away.
! must have occupied about five min
utes. After | was driven away by
the fire, went to rear end of my train,
and saw that the third sleeping coach,
alongside Of freight engine. was catch
ing fire; thought we could save il, raj
lied the men, got water from the tank
and saved the coach. The front end
was badly burned. know there
wcrc persons killed by the collision.
After daylight | saw the remains. ]
counted four bodies. They were badly
burned. | saw pieces of burnt flesh