Telegram-herald., 1889-05-11
saouLD BE MADE TO KuS SLOWLY

The horrible erime just committed Al
Kalamazoo 10 Liable % happen any day
IN thls and other cities OF the STATE.
The running OF an engine at such
speed that, in a moments time the
lives Of SIX persons we're crushed out,
and two others mangied perhaps for a
lifetime, = A crime On the part OF some
one, and tile sooner 1t j. called by rs
right name the earlier Will people b.
come aroused - take effective acton
and prevent further crlmes of this IA
tuFe. The engineer IS directly respon-
sihle. such speed, of both engines and
entire trains, - frequently seen in kal-
amazOo and IN our own city, and with
knowiedge on the part OF the officers Of
railroad companies and, presumably,
With their scquiesence, as the danger
Gus practice IS kept up from year To
year. There may have been fault at
Kalamazoo N not having an efficient
man at the crossing when the fearful
tragedy occurred, but there MAS greater
fault IN permitting any such speed IN
the city. In our own city the speed OF
trains Is limited by ordinance 10 SIX
miles an hour. and the same provisions
probably exist IN the charter or ordin-
ances of Kalamazoo City. If such Is
the case then the running of theengine
at the rate OF twenty-five miles an hour
was a wrongful act, and the causing OF
death by the doing of wrongful act
constitutes, as the courts hold, the
crime of manslaughter; and 1t would
seem, therefore, that the engineer
could be convicted of such a. Otfense.
II such Is not the law, It would be a
wholesome check on this kind of
slaughtering to make it law, and also
10 provide some severe penalty To be
meted out 10 railroad officials, who
know and permit, If they DO not en-
courage, such gross violation of city
ordinances, both wise and necessary.
Life has been lost. and several narrow
escapes have been had IN tins city from
the collision OF railroad trains with
street ears, and numerous lives have
been lost at the junction of railroad
tracks with streets, and n most If not
al of these eases. the railroad trains
were being run IN violation OF city
ordinances.
Railroad trains are now run daily
within the city limits at from twenty to
thirty miles an hour, and cross public
thoroughlares at that rate of speed.
And at some Of these various crossings
human beings have been IN the past
without a moments warning, ushered
into eternity; and so they VIII be IN the
future unless public sentiment becomes
so thoroughly aroused that efficient
laws VIII be enacted. and city officials
be compelled % see 10 their enforce
ment. The ordinance relating 20 the
speed of railroad trains IN Grand Rapids
has remained for years a dead letter.
there not having been 10 our knowl-
edge a single prosecution Hereunder, al
though several lives have been lost
where It was conceded the train was
making from four 20 five times the
speed permitted by the so-cslled city
law, and such speed - frequently made
where there arc neither gates or flag
men stationed. The American people,
a. well as American railroad companies,
arc too careless of human life.
let us stop for one moment n the
rush and hustle OF our lives and con-
Ssder those houses of mourning IN our
SISTER city, made So hy the criminal
neglect OF some one, and cry and fore
stall similar CatastropaCs upon our own
streets.