Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1886-11-01
THE DkASHR ATKO.
INQUEST ONsTHE CHARGED REMAINS
OF THE VICTIMS.

The Number of People knern 10 Be in
the Day Coach Now Placed at Sixteen
| Brakeman Wells Bianes Conductor
Hankey-Mrs. Scherer's Death Re
lated by an Eyewitness.
PORTAGE, Wis, Nov. THE remains OF
the human beings who perished in the wreck
of the train at Rio, now repose in an old
building which has been temporarily con.
| verted into morgue. The bodies are placed
upon chests and articles found near them in
the wreck are laid upon the remains for the
purpose of Identification. In some cases
Identification will be impossible Engineer
Thomas Little is lying at his home COM
p!etely Frustrated from the shock and
wounds All the mail matter, with the ex-
ception of the Minnesota and Dakota papers
that was in the wreck, has been recovered,
including registered letters and packages,
and has been forwarded to ifs destination
At the inquest which was begun Friday
evening Conrad Scberer, of Winona, recos-
nized some jewelry which had belonged to
his wife, and detailed her movements, show
ing that she was undoubtedly on the train.
t-Nt
lie sisters, was also identified
Assistant Superintendent Earring tel
egraphed to General Manager. Miller
late Friday night giving the total
number of dead positively iden-
titled so far as follows: Mrs
Conrad Scherer, Winona; Mrs Rosina Jones,
Rush Greek, MINI; Mrs Alva Winter, KaIa-
mazoo; Mrs. Beebe, kalamazoo; Louis
Brinker, Ashland; Mr. Waltersdorf Column
bus; Sister Alphonse, Wnona; Sister Demp-
sey Wmona- To the above list must Ger
tainly be added the Novice Albertine who
was i'll company with the two Franciscan SIS
tiers
Mr.. Earring also says that it is quite pos
sible the names viii be added Of John Ne
ROM, Joseph Plant, Frank Gueyer, and Mrs.
Mari, all of Chicago. These were supposed
TO be in the car although they have not yet
been positively identified The above list
brings the number in tie coach up to six
teen
MILWAUKEE, Wis, Nov &c. II Wells.
the freight brakeman who is charged with
being responsible for the terrible accident
has turned up He came to the city Friday
and visited the general offices of the st. Paul
unmarried He declares that Hankey, the
freight train conductor, is wholly responsi-
bic for the accident. The following is the
subsistence of his story:
"Our train arrived ut East Rio siding sew
cral minutes before the limited put in an an
pearance The freight train was too long
for one side-track so we cut in two switching
one part onto the side tracks and then de-
taching the engine, switching the rest of it
onto the other side-track Il was not nv
duty to close the switch had never closed
it before. The conductor had ALWAYS done
that. On the night of the accident, after we
had reached the siding and sile-tracked our
train, had to remain on top OF one of the
cars. Conductor Hankey went to the switch
and shortly afte:ward passed the car on
which was standing He told me that every
thing was all right.
Tile said he WIS going 10 the lead of the
train. l looked at my watch ami discov-
cred, or thought did, that the limited train
was hate Just then the limited hove in siyht.
was horriliel 10 Sne it run ofr the track
shortly after it passed my car In a moment
the train was in iiameS. I was badly fright
ened, and thinking the freight train hands
would be lynched. fed realize that made
a mistake in running away, but it WAS very
natural under the circumstances. Wells
says he is ready TO give himself up whenever
he is wanted He has engaged counsel at
Milwaukee.