The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-06-18
FOR MANSLAUGHTER.
Conductor Collins and Engineer
Moore Arrested.
They Refuse to Talk of Mondays Disaster,
But viii Have a Hearing This After
noon at Port Costa.

a mud-bespattered an d badly demolished
engine, pile of iron trucks and shattered,
spilniered skeleton of what was once
United States maiI-car mark the scene of
Mondays disaster near Port Costa.
The wreck is fast being cleared away and
by this afternoon nothing will be left to tell
the story-nothing. perchance, but tall.
brown signal tower standing beside the
track, lonesome and deserted.
But clearing the wreck is not answering
the questions that everybody is asking:
How did it all happen?"
Why was the gravel train on the main line
when the express was due? Collins aud
Moore, conductor and engineer of the gravel
trains as dumb as oysters concerning this
all important question, but will be COM
PEELED to testify at the inquest TO be held at
Port Costa this afternoon.
PLACED UNDER ARREST.
Late Tuesday afternoon Coroner 81. j.
Curry of Martinez sw0re out warrants for
the arrest Of the trainmen, charging them
with manslaughter. The warrants were
placed in the hands of c. w. Rodgers.
Sheriff OF Contra Costa County. He com
municated with Detective Len Harris of
the Southern Pacific Company, who has
been shadoWing the men since the accl-
dent, and they were soon located In Oak
land. Moore was arrested at his home on
Taylor street. Oakland Point, late Tuesday
evening. Collins was taken at O'Clock
yesterday morning on Seventh street. and
Larue, the fireman, gave himself up TO the
officers at Oakland Pier.
All three we're taken to Martinez on the
7:3O train yesterday morning and there be-
fore Justice Of the Peace j. b. Smith, who
liked their bonds at $1,000 each. Collins Sc
cured bondsmen without much trouble, A.
g. Warner aud II. j. Fouts qualifying in
the sum specified,
Moore aud Latue could not obtain the re-
CURED sureties, but the kind-hearted Judge
concluded 10 release them on their own re-
cogniZance. His action was severely cen
sured by the District Attorney and Others,
but particularly by Coroner Curry, McCulty,
the rear brakeman of the gravel train, Is al
so wanted, out Detective Harris has been
unable to locate him.
THE BRAKEMAN MISSING.
According to the other trainmen, the
brakeman left Port Costa soon after the
wreck, and walked to Pinoe. From this
point he took freight to Oakland, and has
been seen III that town, but not In any OF
his accustomed haunts. Harris has hunted
Contra Costa County, San Francisco and
Oakland high and low without being able TO
get any ciew of the missing man. ii found
he viii be arrested and taken to Port Costa
tuT the inquest this afternoon.
The complaint upon which the men were
arrested states that &. L. Collins, A. r.
Moore and Cyrus Lnrue had charge of Il
Southern Pactlc train on the 10Th day OF
June, and did wlllfully and neglectlully sui
fer said train 10 collide with another South
ern Pacific train, thereby causing the death
Of W. w. Jordan.
TAKE IT SERIOUSLY.
The men are inclined TO take the matter
very seriously and there s something of a
change IN the happy-go- lucky crew of few
days ago. Collins is man about 30 years
OF age and has been in the railroad service
for the past twelve years acting respectively
as fireman, brakeman, engineer aud switch
man and conductor. lie has been with the
Southern Pacific Company only since 1888,
and has been running train for about
three months. He came here from the
Northern Pacific, where his record is said to
have been good.
Engineer Moore has been in the service of
the Southern Pacific for ten years aud is
about 30 years old. He has made good
record with the company and is well con-
nected in Oakland. where he lives with his
three sisters, who are wild with grief over
his arrest.
None Of the men will vOuchsafe q word
of information as TO how they happened on
and what line OF defense they will follow
this afternoon at the inquest is mere mat
ter of speculation. 1t Is pretty we'll set
tied, however, that the engineer and fire.
man will fall back upon the fact of their
receiving a signal from the conductor, and
say that they simply Obeyed his orders.
MUST HAVE BEEN ''RATTLED."
Detective Harris was at Port Costa a
short time alter the accident happened, and
talked with both men concerning the cause.
Engineer Nj ore said: Il don't know how
1t happened. We must have all been rat
tied 1t is a terrible thing, but liable 10
occur at any time.
OF one thing there is no further doubt.
Conductor Collins did not register out Of
Port Costa on Monday last. His arriving
time Was 9:17. which shows on the register
IN the station at Port Costa, but there Is no
time down for departure. He says that he
did regi> ter ont at 9:2S, two minutes after
getting the order to run to Avon avoiding
regular trains. He denies that he held any
conversation with the agent about marking
him out after Is had arrived.
THEORIES IN ABUNDANCE.
Every one seems to have a different theory
as to what the men meant to do upOn leaving
the side track. One is that they Intended
to use the I urteen minutes between arriy-
ing time and the time Is was due by crossing
the main line 10 long siding, thus enabling
Port Costa and Avon. But this is hardly
feasible, for the spot where the trains came
together is hey ond the switch leading to the
long siding.
Another story is that the crew had some
words with one OF the yard-men about spill
ing gravel in the yard, and that Conductor
Collins ended tue spat by saying: Wen
get out of your yard right away" This
trouble, 1t is said, got The men excited,
and they went on 10 the main line without
for moment considering the result.
a large number Of witnesses have been
! notified to appear for the inquest to-day, and
| some interesting developments may be ex-
! pected.
THE MAIL ALL RIGHT.
Superintendent Flint of the Railway Mail
| Service was most emphatic yesterday in his
| denial of the sensational charges made by a
| morning contemporary regarding the disap-
pearance of registered packages aud other
| mail matter from the wrecked train. Not a
| single piece of mail was lost but one bag
was carried 10y mistake to the Oakland
| Office, which involved few hours delay in
| the tran Smission Of its contents The re-
! port in the same paper that the mail bags
| were ripped open was also declared to be
untrue, the fact being that the kits belong
| ing to the mail clerks, which Contained
| their blankets, were placed at the disposal
of the injured people. aud as the bags re-
semble those in which new spapeTS and
1 II a IL H. l..E