Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1882-01-27

Conductor Hanford, who had charge of the
| New York Central train which was wrecked
at Spuyten Duyvil, on the 18th inst, testi.
ned before the coroner's jury empanelled to
investigate the disaster that it was his firm be-
lei that some passenger had tempered with
the air brakes by pulling the cord, and that
the cause OF the accident was rum" MANY
OF the passengers, added the conductor, were
engaged in a carousal All through the cars
they were passing bottles, freely drinking,
smashing hats, and singing songs. He had
no control over them. They were Apparently
sober when they boarded the train but be-
came intoxicated after they had started.
There is always said Mr.. Hanford, more or
less drinking and general hilarity on the Fri
day trains from Albany. There were ex cor
oners, Senators, Assemblymen, and other
otheeholders on the train. The witness stop
ped, and glancing around the room, remarked
that he guessed everybody there was familiar
with the conduct OF passengers on the Friday
trains from the State capital. He supposed
that some of the jurors had witnessed such
scenes as those he referred to- The cord
which the conductor referred to is one which
runs through the train at one side of the cars
and Is connected with the air brakes SO that
the train may be stopped by the conductor or
brakeman IN case of accident This testimo
ny, as may well be supposed, produced a de-
clded sensation and has been the subject of
no little comment. II has even been said
that 1t is known by certain parties in Albany
VINO II Is that pulled the cord. Other en-
ployes OF the road testified that thew EXAM
lned the air brakes and could discover nothing
wrong about them. The engineer saws thew
were working all right and there was no rea.
son why the train should have been stoned.
Persons who live at the scene of the disas-
ter and were watching the train when the
wreck occurred, testified that the rear brake
man did not start to run back to signal the
Iarrytown train until the headlight of the To-
connective was seen coming through the deem
cut. N0'P
The eoroners jury returned their verdict
on wednesday. They find that Brakeman
Melius was directly responsible for the loss
of life attending the disaster in that he faiIad
to do his duty in signaling the Tarrytown
train and included the following as also re-.
sponsible; Conductor Hanaford for NOT see-
ing to 1t that Melius did his duty Engineers
stanford and Archibald Buchanan of the Chi
cago express, for endeavoring 10 drag the
train after the brakes had been spplied and
FOR not trying to check the escape Of air from
their tanks; Engineer Burr of the Tarrytown
tram Tor not keeping a sufficient lookout;
superintendent Toucey for negleotinR 10
provide proper safeguards at the cut and for
Perml'llhg speed OF 20 miles an hour on so
snarp curve through such a cut and the Of
Leers and managers of the road for not pro
lulng proper appliances for the extipguish-
ment OF fires and for saving life. The Jury
also found the above-named persons each
guilty Of causing the deaths of Webster Wag-
ner, Park Valentine, Louise, his wife, Mary i.
Brown, J: Albert Richards, Oliver P. Kelsey.
Francis Marshall and Darling L. Ransom by
criminal and oulpable negligence in the per.
Torrance of their several duties. The iury
also condemn the practice of issuing passes
TO tho members of the Legislature as INDUCING
excursions between Albany and New York
Conductor Hanaford has been arrested and
admitted to bail in the sum of $4,000. He saws
tnefe were some 20 passengers on the train
with free passes.