The daily gazette., 1878-12-06


or OF the train thai was wrecked ON The
10Th Of June, we had left West Philadel-
phia at $50 that evening, and we were
10 minutes behind time, we passed Claw
mont abont 10.l05; George Babes was
engineer OF the train, it consisted of the
engine, tender, two express cars, one
postal car, one baggage car, two passen-
ger cars and two sleeping cars we were
running about 80 miles an hour ten miles
las er than our regular time. 1t was a
last through train-after getting south of
Ciaymont-l was in the smoking carl
felt slight shock, and a slight
Stacking up / said to a gentleman set
ting In back seat "we are gone up,"
and 1t was only second after That when
L heard the crash. l went back to the
rear of the train and started a man out
TO check anything coming South and
went To the front and sent a man out to
stop anything coming North. / then re-
turned. The freight train coming down
on the same track upon which l had
been running had by this time arrived at
Claymont In returning / met the engi-
neer of this train with lantern coming
to meet me. sent him back and told
him to get his conductor and run back
with the engine to Linwood and tele-
bi"ph w uiidutipHid anu wilmington
that we were Off the track and wanted
help. After this / turned and when
about 400 feet from the rear of the
wrecked train | met Brown. He asked
me about the wreck, "if it was bad" or
something to that effect. In coming up
to me he tapped me upon the shoulder
with one laud, and with the other point
ing to the wreck said, "I did all in my
power to stop her" l replied, "where
were you; were you on the train?" He
said, al saw a cross-tie on the track !"
| asked him "why he dIdn't move it !"
he SAID che couldn't;" | told him "unuer
the circumstances he ought 10 have been
able to throw almost anything off the
track" l then asked him where he
would be; that the company would be
glad to have somebody who saw the OBJ
struction he said his name was Brown.
and that he could be found anywhere
near Wilmington; as soon as he said
Brown" l lighted my lantern and re-
cognized him as being a man who had
been employed on the Delaware railroad.
! hadn't seen him for four or five years.
| was In a hurry to get back to the train
and l left Brown and he disappeared as
nysteriously as he had come. I then
saw Mr.. Lawson, the station master at
Claymont. He said to me, "this train
has been thrown from the track" re-
piled, 81 know it," l then told him of
Seeing Brown, when he said he would
like to talk with him. l said, 81 will
find him you will follow me and when
l stop to talk to anyone you come up"
L looked around and found Brown, l
walked up to him and asked him if he
was Brown he replied "yes." Mr.. Law
son then came up and they then went
back to the station house.
The rear end of the tram had got about
800 feet from the obstruction; when L
met Brown 1t was over fifteen yards
from that obstruction, below it; didn't
see him anymore after he went to the sta
uon house at Claymont. | saw Mr..
Babes, was present when he was found; he
was lying opposite the baggage car door,
dead; he was the engineer of the train
that night; went by it next morning be-
tween SIX and seven o'clock. As | walk
ed back after the accident occurred L no.
ticed the track was in good condition.
noticed the tie after it. had been han
died by all the passengers; L was proba-
bly, the last one who looked at it, 1t was
about seven feet long, and even or eight
inches wide, and was an old tie. L have
been on the railroad for sixteen years,
and any obstruction like that would have
wrecked train going at the rate of speed
we were. There were about seventy-five
passengers on the train. Four persons
were killed-George Babes, ST., George
Babes, Jr., and two tIamps who were
stealing a ride between the cars. When
Officer Legg came up from Wilmington
on the wreck train l told him Of Brown
and he arrested him.
Edwin w. Losing, sworn: Am sta |
ton agent at Claymont; had gone down |
to Wilmington on the 7:51 train, ard had |
returned at ten o'clock in the evening on
the fatal night; had just got off the train |
and the train had only left but few
minutes before the southern express
come dashing by. | knew the prisoner
by sight but had never spoken 10 him; |
saw him on the night of the accident. He |
was near the cars of the wrecked tram. !
met Mr.. Phillips that night; when |
first met Mr.. Phillips l went down to the |
train. AS passed one of the cars some |
one halloed for more light. They were |
in the ditch on the right side of the road |
looking south; they found Mr. Babes in |
this ditch. | didn't know where MIR. |
Phillips went; didn't see the prisoner
then | soon after saw Mr.. Phillips.
said "this train has been thrown from
the track" Mr.. Phillips replied eyes |
know IT," He told me about Brown and
we started TO look after him. We found |
him standing near the train. Mr. PAii-
lips made some remarks as to his identl-
ty. l walked up and spoke TO him. We
walked up to the culvert and he explain
ed to us how he found the cross-'ie. He
stat ed that while trying to get the tie out
he heard the whistle blow; he left the tie
and ran waving his handkerchief and
sanding on the track until he was COM
PEELED 10 get off for mis- own safety" He
made this explanation standing by the
culvert. Here the witness explained by
the use Of the model how the prisoner
SAID he found the tie Brown stated,
said the witness, that he found the cross
tie with one end under one rail and the
other end over the other. A Mr.. Clyde
from New York and Mr.. Foster from
Baltimore were standing by. As the
passengers were gathering L suggested
hat we all go to the station house; Brown
Is he walked up reiterated his statement
% these two gentlemen mentioned above.
He remained with me until Mr.. Legg
ook him into custody. Brown gave as
his reason for his being there that she
lad been in Chester all the afternoon,
md that he started to walk home in the
evening along the turnpike. While
rudging along he was overtaken by a
nan in a wvgon who asked him if he
wanted to ride.
He got In and rode with him until they
,ame down to the road about dozen
'ods above Claymont station. As the
nan went off into the country he got out
Ind walked towards Clayn ont Meeting
,a.,,,, ora ~, tho rnad ba nskaI the time |