St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-02-03
More Testimony on the Cause Of
the Cable Line
Wreck.
THE JURY AGAIN ADJOURNED
Men Who We're on the Train Relate
the Circumstances Expert
enced Gripmen.

u. w. Delllnger, passenger on the
wrecked train. He said:
II stood on the forward platform of the
rear coach, close by the hand brake. ]
got on at Western avenue and we ran
right along down. About Nina avenue
we Stacked up little, but did not come
to dead halt. noticed that when the
train started up again we went with a
sudden jerk. We passed right along over
Summit avenue, and were going very
lively. Going over the brow of the hill
the cars commenced running very fast,
and when we got about half way down
the hill saw we were gone. The con-
duetor stepped from the grip-car in
front of me onto the platform where
stood and demand his pay, Just after we
started down the hill. L handed him a
quarter, and he had reached in his
pocket trying to make change, when he
discovered that the train had broken
away. He just got hold of the brake
and gave it little whirl, as we struck
the curve, and then he jumped. The
car left the track and fell towards the
left. and he jumped to the right
The inquest was livened up a little
when MIR. Dellinger testified: Before
we got to the hill spoke to a young man
beside me Oh the platform, and asked
him if he. was the brakeman, and he
looked as though he rather thought l
had imposed upon him for speaking sou
who was that mani" asked Coroner
Quinn.
Il don't know him personally, but l
have heard since that it was MIR. Blair
replied the witness, noddlng towards
the young looking owner of the Blair
flats, who sat with the jury.
MI. Blair had to admit that he was
the man, and just added by way of ex-
PLANTATION that he had regarded Mr.. Del
fingers mistake as huge joke.
Mr.. Dellinger testified that he did not
hear the gripman ask the conductor to
APPLY THE BRAKES.
or the conductor ask the gripman if he
somebody at the brakes" he said, land
if l had known how l would have put
| them on myself. felt uneasy before
we crossed Summit avenue, and would
have jumped off if they had Stacked up.
| was satisfied there was Danger
DE-. Briggs, who has been attending
Conductor Frank North, was put on the
| stand. He testified that North's injuries
were such as to render him deliriOus for
several days, and that he did not think
it would be advisable to ask the patient
to give testimony before Saturday, and
possibly not then. The conductor is re-
covering slowly, but cannot withstand
any mental strain without danger.
A witness of some importance was B.
F. BLY,, at present employed in O'Brien's
livery stable, No. 543 st. Peter street.
He testified that he had worked on
the State street cable line in
Chicago, as a gripman, for seven
months, and had also worked for
two months on st. Louis cable line.
During his experience ne never had an
| accident and never was discharged or
| reprOved for incOnpetency by his SUI
periors. He considers himself thor
oughly competent gripman. While
working in Chicago he received 50. 70
and So per day, which, he testified, was
the regular wages of the .gripman. He
received the same wages in st. Louis.
'Have you ever made any application
for employment as a gripman in st.
PaulT' he was asked.
II made one. l could not tell you the
mans name, but the engineer at the
power house told me he was the proper
person to apply to. | asked him if he
had an opening for gripman, and he
| asked me what wages | wanted. | told
him wanted So day, the same as re-
ceived in Chicago"
Wv nat reply did he maker"
HE laughed and said he could get
men a good deal cheaper-as cheap
again."
The witness was referred to Col.
Barr, and said he was not the man to
whom he made the application. He
testified that he thought a gripman
who undertook to
RUN A CABLE TRAIN
on line with grade as steep as the
Selby avenue hill, should have at least
four or six months experience.
How do you think this accident
could possibly have occurred?"
"Well, my Judgment would be that
the automatic brake was not properly
attached"
Gould the gripman get mixed up?''
Yes; =! think in showing those leav-
ers his head got mixed up in the eX-
element, and he lost the presence of
mind to control himself"
Col. p. F. Barr was called to the stand
again by Attorney Horn. He testified
that he was the only proper person to
whom applications should be made, and
that BLY, had never applied to him. He
had heard Bly's testimony, and con-
sidered that Caldwell's qualifications as
a gripman were superior to Bly's. He
said: Il think can go out in a crowd
and pick out men that with three days
experience, knowing what the grip is
| intended for and its application, with
whom l would sooner trust myself than
nine-tenths of the people from whom
| you receive applications as gripmen, if
they had any amount of experience
Juryman MOnfOrt-What exertions
have been made by your company to OBJ
tain experienced gripmen from other
citieS?n
"WelI, / can say that made no par
| ticular eXertion beyond sending to Kan
sas City to get one experienced grip
man."
"Have you employed any men who
have had experience"
''fhree Others"
"What experience had they had?''
lone had experience in Chicago
| cannot tell you how long. Another had
quite a large experience i'll Kansas CITY,
| and another has had experience in st.
Louis"
What wages are you paying"
Twenty cents an hour"
Glow many hours constitute days
work?"
at may be nine, and may be twelve"
GLOW does that compare with prices
in Chicago?'
SIT doesn't compare with Chicago
prices, but 1T is the same as paid in
| Kansas City,"
OTHER WITNESSES.
+ l.. Lindsey, clerk of the Cable Con-
kaructioD company, who rode on the
| grip-car steps, close to the grip-boX,
| testified that he saw Johnson Dress for.
ward OH the automatic brake lever
| as they began the descend, and that the
track brake was put on by Mr.. Cald-
well. He also heard the conductor ask
Caldwell if he needed him at the brakes,
and heard Caldwell reply that he had
better stand by the brake in ease OF
necessity.
The jury went into executive session
and decided not to take any further