The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1877-08-16
THE DRAW BRIDGE INQUEST.
ASTONISHING TESTIMONY BEFORE TIE
CORONER'S jury YESTERDAY.
Boys Allowed to Tnmper with the Draw
Farmer Beriin's Testimony-yerdictof the
Jury = Arrest OF the bridge Tender.

Boys Allowed TO Tnmper with the Draw
Farmer Beriin's Testimony-yerdicsof the
Jury Arrest OF the bridge Tender.
LoNG BRANCH Aug. 15.-The investigation
Of the Oceanport railroad disaster in the form
Of n coroncrs inquest rs to the death Of young
Ncrmeuler was resumed to-day. Boys who
were on the bridge when the train was wrecked
were the first two witnesses.
Daniel Lennon. aged eleven. testified that he
was fishing from the draw. John Conrow. the
| bridge master. scnt two Of the boys to put up
the red flags at the ends OF the bridge. Conrow
then inserted the lever to turn the draw. to let
n yacht through hut Immediately ordered the
red flags taken down. He waved n white nag.
and the train camc on. and was thrown of the
bridge. Daniel was pretty sure that Conrow
did not unfasten the latch that held the draw
shut. The latch could bc moved by anybody.
and boys sometimes fooled with it on Sundays.
when no trains were RAINING.
Henry Zoblc. aged nin" testified that he put
up one ofthe red flags and took 1t down when
told to 10y Conrow, who had placed the lever in
position to move the draw but had not touched
William Berlin. a middlc-aecd farmer. tcsti-
he'd that he was near the bridge in boat when
the, train was wrecked. was scared. he
| always was afraid there bc smash up there
why y Juror asked.
Cause they always went so fast over the
hridgc-morr'n forty miles an hour. ! guess.
They went faster over the draw than anywhere
Why didn't you GO to the train when YOU
saw it 40 of and try 10 render some assistance
." was SO scared didn't rightly know what
Tho baggagomaster testified. the other day.
that ne hailed you. and asked you TO come and
hcp wlih your boat. l. that soi'
d" | didn't hear. him rowcd right away as
iast n ! could was always afraid to stay 10y
the bridge when train went over
" Perhaps the trains mad" such a wave that
You were afraid of being swampcd p
, Tn" witness is middlc-ngcd farmer, who
lives near the bridge.
Coroner Guger said that several men con-
nected with the Central Railroad OF New Jersey
were in attendance and that tho jury ght
call any 81 them a. witnesses.
4. g. Brown. who built the bridge. was first
called. He said:
TIL. hrldsc would have held tour oconoiiscs piled on
"a. ' fdr G 6 az. a vt, daa e aIs Sci %%a
i.r Foundation Of any hrdse ON the road The latch ot
tram latch could be arranged tobc locked WIN akel,
ina, mghtte an additional security but undo N pres
Grar o, wee s@e it 'I ne wa snms 20 ANY hn ar
ncss proprl There sno o-'9n about tie safety ~
consider VIE hril.e ai,r than N, oriinar, road bed
arNwhtrr tl., Attain AT "A iUsh rat. of stred l. los
issS amF NE Ga'k t,rs than On o. ,chd bed be-
The following letter was put in evidence:
ctSrN,t RsnnoAno a. Nv Jtgsly.,
Jfaslr cirl, June Il, 1877
os. 9yf FggS, S yo@ aS rc, riy ~ s"'
'4r 1s~ o M s F"@; ga red p, ~,, c gg@sy
ascon,eu.,nt Yours truly, MtsIAen
Trackmaetcr Murtagh. the writer ofthis letter
! testified hat lie had always considered Cnnrow
Leonard johnson, who has charge generally
! OF the draw bridges on the Central railroad Of
/ New jersey. testified:
CS"roT ssmsG to gp5,s1a ms %soascsn, G hi
Anew A. mueh ahou! ihli a, did told him L Il, ..fe
flIt N.tsn lsft IA.
dS, c'ar.s . See dat s draw /. iSohe t,'d ~,
rei "reatc lsi il 10y. are allowed to MI ON the
nrsw ia,k ant kes would Re fged pfc,auiion iu
i"lcks and keNs except the bother ON the BaN hrd.e
lax AMI ies Would aa,, d,icn,on IroraIl, ina, ot
tsuS" T""1 mo' ",nGnn' t. ,aI1 on IL, "'ganper
.cc Tia, mad .,eaf I i S' The rn Of ra"s a. 10
Col. james Moore, General Superintendent Of
the Central Railroad OF New Jersey testified:
ona s @ S 1 wS ar, are ai to- and so. S
sometime. M writing lt nOi an uus tie general r,su.
aton. Verbal .ns'rg guog, not allowed 60 an,e hc
,l" 1 s W. ,i"' , Slow MI NJ ,r~ n
! inch hay. c'tel some OF our hr g. ny puuns quid
nni On tg'e bridge. except The BAY nnd.e-l'n m.i..
on uAt h9sS c,v,h ii,n az my m,'' 9n lour i,
IRAN soon N, l.a,k a. sN miies an loui anl nonsiy
mile an hour rnerc i. uv law 10 NJ. STAT, comp. hus
/ I'll, Draw was fastened wh,utlAs tram came t.it
Jacob Layton. section boss testified that.
/ previous 10 tho liSu-trr. he wrlt" g. Assistant
/ Superintendent Struru-. al Cpnruw- request.
! asking Tor an order that lOyS Pee kept on the
. draw ~ an~W, T. Wu- received.
! Conrow ,~tiilcl that until two months after
| he took chargr If the bridge hr had no in~trur-
! tons from anybody. Until then he had only
| one red flag. which he Put up al tho end of the
| bridge toward the direction from which he cN-
| pcctcd II train. whereas he should have had one
| for each end.
The jury consulted over two hours and then
| agreed to tn following verdict
| We the Jury find that & L Nermeuler came To- his
death 10y injuries received o., the wr'tkine az Passenger
tram o the Lon. Branch division of The central Raj
road 81 New jer~ O.caupurt th, morning uf
Au4 w. ~ and ind that thc accident WA caused
b, thu usl'ctW John touruw. hc having gwen tho
~ si-nni u The approaching train without nr-t having
sen tIat thc draw securely fastened AMI also
hchoNr thHt the safety ~ ic travelling public demands
lower rate of speed IN crossing the~. brii-es
After the inquest. Conrow was arrested on
warrant issued bv Coroner Gugcr. and wi- taken
10 Freehold. the county scat. and Iiinoei in Jail.
III" Will doubtless b' released on bail Tomorrow
to appear next fall for trial.
Conrow said, when arrested. Well. t25
month j. small pay for taking the chance OF
! killing folks.'
tn" charge formally made aeainsthlm i that
Of mnn-iaughte Tn" railroad company has
| not removed Inn from the guardIanShil Of the
| bridge.
| Adeiina Pnttis Separation from her Husband.
from NJ Llutai TioyrlJh