The Portland daily press., 1886-09-25
PORTLAND & ocDENsBuRc.
Some of the Evidence Before the
Coroner's Jury.

It will be remembered that in the case Of
the late accident on the Portland & Ogdens-
burg railroad, at East Baldwin, which re-
suited in the death of engineer Wilson Chan
dler and fireman Martin Costello, the coro-
ner's jury found that the accident was
caused by the carelessness of Edward W.
Spencer section hand, in leaving the
switch at that point unlocked. The follow
ing are some of the point. adduced at the
inquest:
C. E. Hartshorn, the conductor, ,anl Henry
W. Jordan, the baggage master OF TIE tram,
testified to the way in which the accident
occurred, which was described at the time.
John E. Brown, who keeps boarding
house at East Baldwin, testified that ne nad
seen Spencer using the switch some Gays
before the accident and that Spencer hao
charge of it as far as he knew.
Andrew j. Kicker, living at East Baldwin;
testified that Spencer was with him al Danu
rehearsal at the school house on the nlgnt OF
the accident. He saw Spencer come from
his work down the track at o'clock Spen-
Ger was accustomed to throw the switch
open to run the hand car on the siding. Inc
car was too heavy to be lifted of the track
by one man.
Frank H. Rand, boarding at Mr.. Browns,
saw Spencer at the switch at 5.25 O'Clock. He
saw him throw the switch open ana run tne
hand car on the siding
Edward w. Spencer, who has since been
arrested for criminal carelessneSs In leaving
the switch unlocked, testified that ne Is 20
years old He has been employed Dy ths
Ogdensburg road three years. He resigned
the morning after the accident. His work
was to 90 over the section in the morning
ahead of the trains. On the morning Oh the
accident he went down the road as usuaI on
q hand car and spent the day cutting bushes.
He returned to East Baldwin at about
o'clock He ran his hand car up to the
switch rails, stopped and got OIL. lie then
unlocked the switch and threw 1t open: he
ran the car on the switch rails to the slang
He then threw the switch back and locked
it, lie locked the hand car also. lie talked
with his father for few minutes and then
went back to the switch and looked to see II
| everything was all right with the switch.
He always looked to, see II the switch
! was all right whenever he went near 1t. Al
| ter supper he went to band rehearsal
| When the accident occurred he ran to the
scene and then noticed that the swltch was
unlocked. He was positive that he locked
| the switch securely, otneT sectlon @ mel
| who left the road last fall with switch key
| in his possession. This was Frank Goodwin.
| now at work for Gen. Mattocks at Easl
| Baldwin. The key was sent for this sprlne
| but Goodwin said he had lost 1t in the
Ella M. Beede, the sister of Spencer, tes-
titled positively that she saw him lock the
switch.
itively that he saw his son lock the switcl
and then looked at it to see ii it was al
right. .os
tilted that he had always known spencer tc
had a key which he said he lost. Three
wears wear ago Mr. Emery found rail across thu
track near this place. Goodwin was dis
charged for carelessness. The use OF th'
switch was contrary to his directions =
Snencer. He told him to throw the ham
car off the track and not to use the switch
He never knew Spencer to leave swltc
unlocked but he had known Goodwin to
this.
Spencer admitted that Mr.. Emery told NIL
he had better not use the switch but did nc
understand that he was positively forbidde
to do so.