Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-02-12
4 TRIAL FOR LIFE.
THE SW1TcHAccrDENT CASE.
salient Points in Case si Cemnsswssish
Assisss Rsssrs n. Hspkiss-Jary vssss shs
Sesue OF the AeeiSsns.

Assisss Rsssrs n. Hspaiss-Jary v,sss the
sesue Of the AseiSsns.
In the Hastings Court yesterday
Judge Holladsy presidine--further tes-
timony was taken for the Common
wealth in the case OF Robert II. Hop
kins. who is indicted for displacing q
switch on the Chesapeake and Ohio
railway, at point near this city on
June IL, 1884, thereby causing the
death Of Alexander Hall, the engineer
Of passenger train. Commemorative
Attorney appeared for the prosecu-
tion aud Mr.. Edgar Allan for the ac-
eused. From the great volume Of tes-
timony taken yesterday the following
principal points are given:
EVIDENCE FOR PROSECUTION.
c. B. Mouldowney am an engineer,
and was in the employment Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio on the 18th Of
June. Saw Hopkins at the wreck.
Did not speak to him. | was dis
charged on account Of a wreck that
happened before June 18th. Never
saw Whitloek at the wreck.
b. n. Rice, trsin-dispatcher. was ex-
amined as to the running of trains on
June 18th.
To Defence's Questions | remem-
Der dispatching an order TO John Cox to
be careful in passing that switch it
was in December, 1883. l do not re-
member ever having heard that the
switch was unsafe. | did not send q
boy to Whitlock after the wrecking of
the train to tell him to 90 to Mr.. Hud-
sons Office, that he wanted to see him.
John Deur: | am a railroad brake
man, and was arrested charged with
this offence, and was discharged. Had
a conversation with Hopkins, who came
to my house and told me that he changed
the switch. and that he changed it back
to the main track, and that it was the
day of the wreck in which Engineer
Hall was killed. He said his object in
doing it was that he had lost switch
key, and that Mr.. Smith would give
him job to have him keep his mouth
shut.
To Defence At the killing of Engi-
neer Hall was boarding at Holloran's.
Hopkins said he got the key from Whit
lock. He had key OF his own besides
the one he got from Whitlock. Never
asked me to GO with him to see Mr..
Smith, general manager of the Chesa-
peake and Ohio.
Arthur Quinn live at No. l20S
Seventeenth street. Was at the wreck !;
saw Hopkins. He had on cap and a
red 'kerchief around his neck. Twas
there twenty minutes.
By the Defence | do not think he
had on a coat. Did not take notice suf-
ficient to give description Of the cloth
ing that he had on.
Edward Kline: am machinist.
Was at the wreck few minutes after
it occurred. Did not see Hopkins.
Heard him speak about it and had a
conversation with him in reference to it.
He had been discharged from the COM
pany at the time it happened. lie
asked me if had seen the girls up the
road. | told him had. He then said
he was up at the switch the day Of the
wreck about 4 o'clock. and told me
that he moved the switch back and for
ward, and then spoke of how easy i,
was TO wreck train.
c. W. Smith: am general manager
of the Chesapeake and Ohio railway.
know the prisoner Hopkins. He was
in the employment of the Chesapeake
| and Ohio Company. Had converse
ton with the prisoner about the wreck.
He was brought to my Office by HollO.
ran. | did not send for him. Hopkins
in his statement to me admitted that he
was at the switch; what he said was
very much broken and very indefinite.
He said that he and other parties had
been up where the accident occurred.
lie said ii was about IL o'clock when
he was there. and then afterwards said
it was 4 O'Clock. lie told me that
he unlocked the switch and then
| relocked it, and that he did it the day
the accident occurred. From the con-
versation with Hopkins, and from his
actions and appearance at the time,
was led to believe that he was the man
that changed the switch which caused
the accident and death of Engineer
! Hall. lie asked to be reinstated, and
at the suggestion of Holloran he was
put back. as by doing so he would not
likely 60 away, and the matter could
be investigated. The reason did moi
have him arrested at that time was be
cause did not think the evidence We
had was sufficient.
To Questions of Defence Never had
but one conversation with Hopkins
had several with Holloran. Hollorar
has never been in the employment o.
the company to my knowledge. Nothing
was ever said by me to Holloran about
reward to be paid Tor conviction
The first We did after the accident was
to offer reward of $500 for the ap-
prehension and conviction of the per
petrators. Milspaugh is agent of the
Chesapeake and Ohio, and his duty
is TO settle claims of the com
pany. Whatever he has done
in this case has been voluntary
A detective was employed to work uT
the company's defence in the civil suit
in the Hall case and TO detect the par
ties who were the cause Of the wreck
A report was made by the detective
in the case. never read it. Had
several conversations with Milspaugf
after Hopkins and Whitlock were sus
pected. Never directed him; never
asked Holloran to bring Hopkins to mi
until he requested it. Holloran saiC
that if Hopkins was put to work HI
would not realize the position he wa
in. Whitlock was employed as watch
man.
Mr.. Allan: Do ! understand you
then, Mr.. Smith, that these two men
Hopkins and Whitlock. were suspected
by the Chesapeake and Ohio Railwa,
Company of maliciously causing thii
wreck, killing Engineer Hall, and jeo