Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1872-10-31
THE SEABROOK INQUEST

IdE N6A6ROOh INQCE SI
The Boston Advertiser of Tuesday had the
following summary or review of the proceed
ings at the coroners inquest OH the Seabrook
disaster:
As the inquest progresses it assumes some
what Of q sensational character. There is
vast deal of testimony taken which is mere
repetition and irrelevant detail, and yet oc-
casionsily some fact crops out, or some Incl
dent comes to relieve the monotony of the
examination and to make it anything but
commonplace. Up to Friday the drift of the
evidence was decidedly in favor Of Dow. The
patent sympathy of the inquest was with him.
His intelligent testimony and his honest face
made it hard to believe that he could be guilty
of three or four hours of uninterrupted PERU
ry. Then Benjamin Walton of Seabrook,
took the stand, and with every appearance of
sincerity testified that he heard Dow, in the
excitement of the recent crash, confess the
possibility OF fatal carelessness on his own
part. Such testimony, if substantiated, would
attach the responsibility to Dow, beyond the
shadow of an alternative supposition. 1t will
be remembered that Walton, in the same
breath, with the assumption of a ten years
acquaintance with Dow, gave description of
that gentleman's physical appearance which
detail. The man who said the words, "Per.
haps the switch was wrong" was, according
to this witness, tall, of light complexion,
curly haired, and with a red moustache and
beard. 1t happens that Conductor Smith, of
the local freight, Is the exact representative
of this description. The words which would
have been fatal to BOWS innocence, if uttered
by himself, in MIR. Smiths mouth became on
ly a natural conjecture as to the cause Of the
disaster. The probability of a mistake in
the Identification of the brakeman, Dow, by
Mr.. Walton is suggested in a remarkable
manner by the testimony of to- day. After
the examination OF several employees of the
road present at the scene OF disaster, and
whose testimony brought no fact of impor-
lance to light, Newell Dow was called. That
the man told his story with reluctance, for
some reason unknown, was perfectly evil
dent. His style was as unlike the straight
forward, honest narration OF his namesake,
the brakeman, as can be imagined. At times
he spoke with logged unwillingness and at
times with a surly bravado which tempts
strange differences. lie was up early that
morning, it seems, for cunning expedition.
| His chronology of the movement ofthe trains
and the events of the morning hardly coin
cided with the established facts. But the
most singular part of his contribution to the
desired light was found in a mistake even
more marked than that which Walton made
Newell Dow also said that he had known
Charles Dow for years, and that, indeed,
there was possibility of distant family con-
nection. When asked to identity him, if pos
sible, among those in the room, he singled
out Conductor Smith. Charles Dow was not
present. The witness struggled on through
his testimony In nervous, sullen manner
which eliminated in direct refusal to an
swer one Of the coronei's questions. When
told to be in attendance tomorrow he NUT
tered a refusal, saying that he expected to 60
to Cape Ann in the morning to ship for six
months cruise. lie was held under bonds
to appear, however, and tomorrow's develop
ments are awaited with interest by all con-
cerned. 1t will be best to resist the tempta-
ton to found any theory upon the strange
turn matters have taken, until future evidence
shall give 1t something stronger than sensa-
tonal basis to stand on. The testimony will
be found below.
In the course of the inquest Mr.. Lincoln
took occasion to explain why the Eastern
road allows cars to he run on its express
trains which are unprovided with the Miller
platform and the Westnghaus brake The
legislature of Maine, he STATED, compels the
company to give transportation to the Boston
and Maine line as far as Berwick Junction.
The rolling stock Of this road is destitute OF
either of the improvements alluded to. While
driven by law to permit the uneQuipped cars
of corporation, perhaps a little inimical, to
enter into the composition of its trains, the
Eastern company can hardly be blamed for
granting the same privilege to a friendly and
allied road like the Maine Central.