The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1876-08-10
EXAMINATION OF THE ATKrN.
SON TRAIN wREcKERs.
The Evidence in the Case, Etc, Etc.

|
county, for the wrecking of the night pas
senger train on the G. R. l. & P. r. R. on
the night of July 18th, last, commenced on
Tuesday morning in Everetts Hall, in
that place, before Justice Daniel Hunter,
with Justice Frank Macarthur, of Geneseo,
acting as his associate. Ma. Boards
ley and p. T. McElherne, of Rock Island,
appeared for the railroad company, and
Geo. w. Stipp, ESQ.,, of Princeton, APP
peared for the defense, Owing to the
large crowd in attendance-about 400
the exceeding heat, and fears that the |
hall would not accommodate all the peo-
pie present, the court, after hearing the
first witness, adjourned until l o'clock to
meet in j. NJ. Browns grove, about block
distant from the hail.
The main points in the evidence are as
follows:
Wells Ferrin. | have been a station
agent here years for the G. r. |. Il T.
R. K. On the 18th day of July last, |
went to Moline and came back on the
night passenger train, arriving here at
ll:23; after the train stopped | saw Ma
rion Ogden at the switch where the acct
dent happened; and then | met him few
minutes after near the door of the express
car Ogden asked me if the r. h. Co.
would pay reward if he would catch the
men who threw the train off the track. |
said yes; and just then Mr. Ough and DR..
Smith came up and all four of us then
started out through field looking for the
men, as Ogden said they had gone in that
direction. After going some distance we
heard somebody calling, Here they are, "
aud on coming up found it was Hobert
Drake; he said the men had just run
through a hedge fence, and Ogden then
proposed that we return to the train
which we did. The next morning, while
in the crowd. James McNamee said to
Ogden, Gen. got as far as John Ough' s
when | heard the noise, and | thought she
had run off" One week from that day,
| met Ogden and he said he had spot
ted" tramp who, he believed, threw the
train off the track. After he was arrested
he said to me, This is no more than |
have been expecting In the cross-ex-
animation he said he thought when he
first saw Ogden at the train, that he threw
it off.
Henry Brosso, of Chicago, fireman. /
saw that the signal was all right at the
switch, and after | jumped off the train
the first man | saw was Marion Ogden;
he told me that while passing along the
railroad he saw two men near the switch
and he ordered them to halt, but they
started down the north side of the em-
bankment and disappeared; he also said
they were pounding on the railroad. Og-
den told me at three different times that,
LIST, he was sitting upon the steps ct his
house when the accident occurred, I'd.
? that he was walking along the sidewalk at
the time, and Sd, that he was in bed.
have been on the Chicago road nearly lC
y ears.
Charles Everts, conductor | have
been on this road the G. R. |. & P. r. R.
I years; had charge of the train on the
night of the 18th, which was wrecked here
was few minutes late; the train consisted
, of cars and the locomotive; | was in &c
coach when the accident happened; The
, first man | saw was Marion Ogden, after
! | got off the train; he said he could catch
the men who done the job-that he haC
been lying near the track for half an houl
! watching two men hammering on the
E track examined the switch and saw it hac
: been tempered with; Ogden was on thu
south side of the track.
D John Deckerman, engineer of the train
| have been on the c., Il. |. 4 p. r. r
siCce 1862 On the 18th of last July wa
about 10 minutes late; | was injured b,
= the accident which occurred that night
and laid up" for week; the locomotiv
was a wreck; the switch showed a greer
It light, which means all right; the switcI
r had been tempered with, and looked Xix
q it had been done purposely.
VIM. II. Pierce, baggageman on tn
: train. live in Englewood, His; been q
e the c.. r. l. & P. K. r. years; was i
It the baggage car when the accident hap
q pened; when | got out | met Mario
: Ogden; he was near the switch.
The balance of his testimony was sui
r stantially the same as the other railroa
a men.
ol +. ID. Schafer, brakeman on the trair
o testified about as the other men.
" Isaac Burnett roadmaster. have bee
g on the c., r. l. & P. r. r. 9 years; wa
- here on Sunday, July 16; presented
% plan showing location of depot, switch, an
& yard; Ogden told me the same story tn;
d ne told the others in regard to his seein
two men hammering on the switch, and
y he thought they meant anything wrong b
e might have stopped it; have spoken
'e Ogden several times since.
+ 1t being now nearly o'clock the coul
n adjourned until 7 o'clock in the evening. ;
y the same place.
TO EVENING SESSION.
Of Hobart Drake was the most importar
e. witness and we give his testimony 10 fu
:, as follows:
!" | have resided in Atkinson years ne1
y January; known Marion Ogden for year
re somewhat intimately; was meyer in bus
ys ness with him; last 4th of July he wante
~ me to gamble with him in Five ticket. 1" as
:" "capper;" he wanted me to bet the cal
&c wouldn't be shown didn t go with him ;ju
talked of it; we have been on several lit
sprees together; saw Ogden on the 18th
last July, late at night; saw him at wreC
of train; he Sid train ran off; said he
- quick he could catch the men who did i
e said If the company would furnish he
-. he could 60 right out and catch them; sa
~ r. he would be suspected; that he would u
bo have been the first man there for al
~ " money, We started out in search of Il
=, men who wrecked the train. and talk,
IA IA with him as we walked along: he said ,
-, must find some one or they'd suspect u
Ivy Ivy we went through Belgian's b
~ field but found no one, [ tn
"a left the crowd and yelled out ''He
~ they are" lie said there they
~ ~ through the hedge" and | repeated
- those in the crowd were DIR. Smith, We
VI Ferrin, Wm Ough, Marion Ogden a
III xrox. lnoi, ko t.,,x .,~l IL