Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-09-16

WHO WAS RESPONSIBLE?
The Coroner's Investigation OF the Fatal
Collision on the b. and r. Railroad.
The inquiry ~ 10 the causes which led TO the
death Of James Jamison, the engineer who was
killed In the collision north Of the Navy Yard
tunnel on Friday evening last was resumed TO.
day. Coroner Patterson and his Jury were on
hand promptly at o'clock and 90 were Super
intendens q. b. Carter and Division superin-
tendent McKeever. The session Of the Jury on
Saturday and the report in Saturdays brAs
closed together.
TESTIMONY OF THE rAAiN DfsfArcnrn.
The first witness this afternoon was ). ".
Reynolds, the train dispatcher Of the Baltimore
and Potomac division and Philadelphia, Will
mington and Baltimore diyisions of the Penn.
sylvanis railroad. He testified that he was
stationed at Wilmington, Del, and
n ,nss nc that was n0''nea .sS On Friday after;
the track ON the soutnbound track near the
stock.yaxds. Trains were then run on the
northbound track as single track between Ana
costa and the crossover switches north Of the
Navy Yard tunnel. He detailed the movements
OF trains up to the arrival Of No. 80, on which
the engineer was that was killed at Anacostia.
That train was ordered to 60 in on the north
bound track to the cross over svitches After
engine sos had gone north Of Anacostia. There
was
'HoLpNo ORDER"
as the navy yard 10 hold all north-bound trains.
The order was produced. II was timed 6:59 at
Wilmington; had been repeated by Operator
Kramer at the Navy Yard, and was signed by
him at the end of the repetition showing tna he
had recetvedt Witness stated that he was on
duty until o'clock on Saturday morning and
that that order--No. s2-wss the last
holding order sent TO Kramer and
mer had no right to. give q clear signal
until he had bcen specifically ordered to Do 90
BY the superintendent Kramer had no bust
ness TO let train 307 through. He could only
allow trains to 60 through when those particu-
lar trains were mentioned in orders. Witness
produced the
ORDER TO THE ANAcosT1A OPERATION.
which notified him that after engine so5 passed
north Of Anacostia he was to run
trains on the north,bound track to the cross-
over switches regardless Of north-bound trains.
Kramer had holding order that was to pre-
vent any north-bound trains moving past his
tower. After the wreck occurred witness
operator called up Kramer and asked IL the
extra freight had passed north and Kramer said
it had.
H. B. Murdoch, telegraph operator, working
the train" wire at Wilmington, was the next
witness. He sent all the orders sent out on
Friday evening. The last north-bound train TO
receive orders before the collision was No. 90.
There was no message sent to release No. 907.
TIE sNolSEEa OF THE WRECKED FREIGHT TRAIN.
Joseph NJ. Harmon, engineer Of the
wrecked freight train, No. S07, testified that
he pulled to the Navy Yard on orders
OF Cdrn the YARD master stopped there on &c;
there about ten minutes. Then he got q
white signal and started on. The operator
gave him the white block. Witness knew
nothing about there being . wreck on the
south-bound track. There was no red signal
out "for ORDERS"
OPERATOR KRAMER REoALIEp.
Operator Kramer was recalled and asked II
he had any orders to send No. 307 north, and he
said he had no special order. Copies Of the
orders he had received were at the Office. de
had no special orders for either Nos. Sc nor sos.
There was an order for No. S05, but there
was no starting time. Witness stated very
positively that he had not received the order
TO hold all north-bound trains. He al
was in the room at the time,
to receive the message and to respond to it
He understood 1t. The message was not re-
ceived on the train book, but was scribbled on
piece OF paper by Lee Witness acknowl-
edged that he was prohibited from allowing
was permitted to touch the key.
When this holding order came witness was
inquiring about SO. As soon a. the express No
$50 was clear witness allowed engine 805 to fol.
low. and as nothing was said about it he supposed
1t was all right. A trainman reported to wit
ness that the south-bound track was clear and
on that he sent the freight out.
LONG DISCUSSION
followed in which the coroner, Superintendent
Carter and the witness participated, but the
situation was always more or less
confused, Kramer feeling satisfied that
t ne was as, right, right IN taking several
that he had no right to run trains in and out.
A SENSATION.
Juror Whaley asked . number Of questions
and then witness produced an order, not on
regular blank, which, he said, he had received
and which was as follows: ''After 354 gets
clear we shall have no farther orders for north
bound trains"
Supt. Carter was on his feet In an instant,
"iou never received that sir; you never re-
ceived it. I will show you the order you
received" and he took from Mr.. Rsy-
nolds' hands scrap Of paper on
which Lee had written, "After Ex. a5a clears
block we have no orders for &c. H. H. G."
Witness said he let two trains 60 and it was ell
right
Coroner Patterson-'You let three CO."
Supt. Carter-''You let one 20. We know it
to the extent of forty or fifty thousand dol
lars"
William Lee testified that he was in Opera
tor Kramer's room when the dispatch came
from Wilmington ordering him to hold all
north bound trains. Kramer was looking for
. regular train book when the dispatch came in
and witness took 1t and repeated it, signing
Kramers name thereto.
At ESQ the coroner gave the case to the Jury.
Kramer Will Be Held.
Tho Jury, after celebrating until S:16, re-
turned verdict to the effect that