The New York herald., 1878-05-31
DELIBERATE MURDER
Prospect Park and Ooney Island
Gravel Train Wrecked.
FIVE PERSONS KILLED,
Several Others Severely Injured
by the Assassin's Act.


Prospect Park and Coney Island Railroad about halt
q mile beyond the depot, a. the Franklin avenue in
tersection, on Wednesday night 1t appears from the
statements Of tho ofcers OF the road that gravel
train, composed OF engine and four fiat working
carrying gravel supplies lett the depot at
eleven O'Clock night and proceeded as lar Park
ville distance OF couple OF miles After dstrbut-
ing the gravel which was needed for the baastng Of
the now track the at half-past eleven started
on its return trip 10 the depot with an
engineer, conductor, brakeman and sixteen laborers
on board. Tho trip had boon nearly completed
when the disaster occurred, at quarter OF an hour
before midnight, at the Franklin avenue crossing,
which Is at the boundary of Greenwood Cemetery.
Between planks Of tho crossing and the rails
nurdorous hands had secretly wedged in a number Of
heavy paving stones (Which were crushed by tho
wheels of the engncl and, II this were not arcady
sunlcient a tie hnd bcen placed across the track.
The diabocal design succeeded. Tho cars werc
thrown OF the track and dashed both sides OF
IT, but the engine. which the Of
the train wthstood tho shock and remained upon the
track. Four human beings, precipitated under tho
cars or wedged In the wrcck, wore killed outright;
one horribly bruised and manged died on his way to
the hospital, and two were seriously wounded. The
following Ia the correct list Of tho dead and
wounded
GEORGE PRIMROSE, conductor, twonty -iour years
old, single; lived in Rusnwisk; killed outright.
WILLIAM CRAFT. brakeman, twenty-seven years
old, married. child lived in East New York; daed
in hospital.
JOHN CLEAR lasorsr forty years old, married;
lived In Nineteenth street, between Sixth and Seventh
avenues, South Brooklyn
JOHN ELLIS, laborer, married; lived in Twenty.
eighth street, near Fourth avenue, South Brooklyn;
killed outright
- 1olxOp fortv otnht
old, married; lived in Twenty.eighth street, near
Fourth avenue, South Brooklyn; killed outright
WOUNDED.
PATRICK COOK laborer, about nfty years old
married; slight scalp wound on head and bruised
bedy: taxen to the Long Island College Hospital,
ner oil Hicks and Congress streets.
JOHN CoYLE Iaborer, bruised about the body re-
sides in Prospect avenue
THY MINIS INJURIES.
George Primrose had the back OF his head crushed
in both legs broken his body shattered and is
ieartully dis1gured
William Craft horribly mangod tho flesh
beng torn of his hip calf Of his log the
whole limb being mashed. He also wounded in
tho head, hrs lett arm was broken, and he badly
Injured internally. :.
John Coar's head was crushed to jelly, his brains
oozcd out, and his limbs were broken.
John Ellis legs and broken, as were
those Of Geoghan, but otherwise neither was much
dishgurcd
AFTER THE WRECK.
The front car, In being thrown OF tho track drove
with crushing force into the Greenwood Cemetery
fence, and the rear cars pled upon it. Considering
tho 1sborcrs all lying fiat upon tho cars
that they werc all dashed with terrific shock It
is n marvel how thirteen OF them escaped with
lives Tho escape Of tho engineer, Michael Hailoran,
was Of course entirely owing to the fact that tho
engine In the rear instead of the front Of tho
train, and to The coolness which he displayed
Assistance photographed ior, and a relief trai n,
In charge OF superintendent schermerhorn. and
an ambulance upon the spot after midnight
Tho bodies horribly mangied, and Crafts logs
badly crushed as to render amputation
sary, and after a the agony Of those operations the
poor fellow died yesterday morning IN tho hospital
whithor hc had been removed. Tho conductor,
Primrose, had his legs broken, his body partlnly
crushed under tho weight OF The cara when
aud cured Strange TO say, the watch In his
pocket-tnat organism so much moro minute aud yet
less delicate than that OF the sturdy man-escaped
almost uninjured and was still ticking away AT It's
regular when It's owner pulled liicess from
the wreck. Primrose mud twice before in HIS lfo
scored ndcrful victories death. In the Fourth
OF July accident on the old South Side Railroad hs
his shoes were burned from Oh his Ieet The legs aud
arms of the othcr victims were br0ken thcr
heads crushed aud Their bodies manglcd IN
The four dead we're removed AZ once 10 the Morgus by
permission OF CorouerQ nuns, who had also hastened
10 OF the accident, II being feared that II
they taken at that hour of the night to their
spectivs families the shock OF this horrible surprise
might PROSTATE their wives or children Tho ht
and rainy. and tho business OF removing the
dead this lonely rural spot far from any dwellings,
and amid the meanings Of The wounded, Ia described
by all bystanders ms sau aud drcary 10 tho last de-
gree
THE MOTIVE FOR THE DEsD
what could have boen the motive Tor this terrible
deed which designed TO destroy nineteen lives
This was the question which was uppermost in ali
uinde Firm IN ba AZ ~ VIII
placed ana closely wedged between the rails and tho
paDking, is thought that tho maicactor must have
been discharged cmpoyc OF tho road Police Cap
tam McKocr thought yesterday that he already had
sufficient information 10 person the vicinity
the track, tut in the interests Of jus
iice he would not reveal his name. There
were also vague rumors that the railroad company
had incurred the enmity OF tho Parkvie people that
they had discharged many iaborers IL should be
easy for the police 10 discover the perpctrator this
quintupIc murder. The period OF lime WITHIN which
IL was committed may be closely narrowed down. AT
quarter past eleven thts gravel train had passed the
very spot It's way 10 Parsvie without accident
HeDos the murderer had placed the stones aud the
ne between a quarter pass eleven ana qusrtef TO
twelve Wednesday Sight The company
blamed somewhat for Withdrawing the niaman who
stationed al this crossing alter tue passenger raic
~ oyer or u the hagman had been IN his place the
obstructions, OF course, could not havs been put
there.
Mr.. Culver, the president, stated yesterday aitor-
noon that the DEBRIS having been promptly cleared
damage ' TO the oomnany did no, exceed $3.50 as The
HAT gravel we're quite inexpensive and only tho
woodwork about them hal pcen dcn,olisncd lie had
already sven orders tnat the dead should be buried
The expense OF lie railroad company and hnd Issued
a notice onnrnE reward Of $500 Tor the arrest and
conviction OF The murderer, as ioivws:-
uvk HUNDRED poLiARs REWARD
will be paid BY the Prospect Park and ronoy island Rail
road G0mpary that will lead the arrest
victon OF the person persons who placed OF
caused placed, the oy<tuctions upon tracks
this company nt Franklin avenue IN tho Fiat
bnsh night OF May 20 1873 csnsing the wreckng
Of gravel the death of five workmcn Comma.
nicatons may be addressed to
ASDKEw r. CULVER. President,
Ninth avenue and Z wentieih street
When asked why nag gman was not stationed at
this crossing the President rcpea tnat after the last
passenger train had passed, at. hapas nine 4. NJ.
inc nagman was Withdrawn. Such accident, he dc.
cared coulu never happen to passenger train ow-
ing TO the presence oil the nsgman. Mr. Culver OK
pressed hearty regret at the ucah Of the uctor
,v.. M. han m brg anls