Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-01-29
HORROR IN THE SIERRAS.
Train Robbers Charged With
Causing the Accident.
No More Bodies Identified.
Medical Experts Pronounce the
(harred Flesh Not to
be Human,

SAN FRANCISCO, January 23.-The
railroad officials state that, from some
OF the evidence given at the inquest
over the victims and from information
Obtained by detectives, they are now
convinced that the accident was not
due to carelessness on the part
OF their employees, but was
the result Of an attempt to rob
the express car. They claim that the
handbrakes we're properly set by the
brakemen before getting of the train.
They say that one oil the brakemen
escorted the lady to the station and
returned toward the train, which was
still in position; that his lamp went
out, and that, after he had re.entered
the station and reliRhted it, he found
the train gone. They hold that on
such grade the train could not have
stood moment if left unbraked, and
furthermore that the engines and
airbrakes could not have been discon
nected unless the train had been held
BY the hsndbrakes to ease the strain,
They express the belief that the
brakes were properly set, and that the
train was tampered With. 1t is known
that when the traip drew into the
station two men were seen there who
were, subsequently, found dead in the
Wreek.ap who are asyet unidentified
and these men, 1t is thought, were part
of a gang that attempted to rob the
train, aud in order to eject their oh.
Jeot let of tbs brakes and started the
train down the grada in order to get il
away iIom help and in a position
where the express car could be robbed
Being inexperienced they lost control
OF tho train and the accident occurred
Further evidence is adduced that no
tfamps were on the train before reach.
ing Tehichipa, while two were found
amidst the wreck and tive more on
that part of the tFaia that kept on the
trseS,
THE THRILLING DISCOVERY or THE
RoDIEs.
| A dispatch from Los Angeles states
that yesterday afternoon DR.. Ross
commenced the work of carefully ex.
amining, for the first time, the bodies
which bad been picked up at Tho
wreck, tse word "bodies," as here
used, signifying portions of the human
form, in many INSTANCES handfuls Of
whitsned bits Of bones, being all thai
remained Of what had been hnr,o,
form, aud he quickly made a thrillin,
discovery.
Come Of the boxes, in which haC
been placed what was supposed to hav,
been human remains, contained char
red and cooked flesh, either of beef o
mutton. After his careful examina
tion he concluded that six Of tn
supposed bodies possibly contained n
human remains, and Of one other h
was In such doubt that he and DR.
hrutg this evening together made an
other examination Of the suppose,
remains, This resulted in their pro
nouncing absolutely that they wer
not Of human flesh.
BoDlES CLAIMED AND IDENTIFIEp.
A duplicate chart Of the passenger
and sleeping cars shows that ever
one who took passage is accounted fol
The remains of Charles II. Piersor
Wright, the porter, Ferdinand Brum
ford, Thomas KegRn and the tw
discharged soldiers were readil
l identified, as their bodies were no
dis6gured or mutilated. The remain
of Colonel Larrabee, Miss NJ. X
Squires, Mrs. DoWney and Lawrenc,
: the porter Of tho through sleeper
have been positively Identified, an
r enough has been brought to light I
a identify the remains Of l.. Wethere
y and Il. A. Oliver. These, added I
= the recognized remains of MI
: Sehlnghyde, who boarded the dOome
train at Fresno, make the number 0
dead accounted for twelve. Tw
bodies still remain uurecognizsd Th
, clues for tn sir Identification are s.
D slight that 1t is possible thY Deve
will Ia blown, 4hsss remains ma,