The record-union., 1891-11-06
THE ROBERTS BROTHERS.
How They Came to be Charged With
Train-Wrecking.
Mrs. Brees Tells What JEFF. Roberts
Confided to Her-The CIaw-bar-
Trainmen's Testimony.

dhlHdliOn Oh Al. and Jef1. ROBERTS, the
young men who are accused of having
wrecked the West-bound overland train
near Colfax, on the morning of the 18th
of October, was resumed before Justice
Gwynn this morning.
Despite the inclement weather there
was even larger throng in the court
room than on yesterday.
The Roberts brothers occupied seats
near their attorneys, and were accompa-
MED again by their aged father and
mother. They were, OF course, the target
at which all eyes were directed, but
neither seemed to enjoy the attention
chat was bestowed upon them.
The outlook now is that the case will
not be concluded until after tomorrow.
CONDUCTOR MURRAY.
NJ. B. Murray. who was the Conductor
of the wrecked train was the first wit
ness called to-day by the prosecution.
I'VE left Colfax on the morning of the
18th of October at 3:22 O'clock" he said.
"We had ten cars and caboose on the
Grain. | was sitting in the smoker at the
time of the wreck, which occurred less
than ten minutes after we left ColfaX.
My attention was attracted by a heavy
Jolt ahead of US. This was followed by
our car striking the misplaced rail, and the
fire flew out Of our stove. l started to get
hold of the air-valve, but the engineer had
already applied the air. Our ear was now
humping along over the ties in q terrible
manner. left the car as soon as the train
stopped, and started toward the engine.
The engineer was coming down on the
other SIDE and, asking him what was the
matter, he replied that he thought he en-
cOuntered a broken rail. The witness
Ghen went down the bank to where the
derailed sleeper lay, and assisted in get
ting the passengers out. Brakeman Nor
rill was there. Morrill, had an ak, and
was breaking in the door Of the sleeper"
Conductor Murray corrObOrated the
testimony given by the other witnesses
regarding the condition Of the track after
Che wreck. Witness was acquainted with
jeff. Roberts. and had seen Al. Roberts
several times. After he had left the
gmoking-car and walked up toward the
engine, he did not pass anybody on the
way.
on cross examination, Conductor Muir
ray said that he did not see Al. Roberts
At the sleeper. He might have been there.
out the witness did not know him well
enough TO distinguish him from any of
The passengers.
RUDELY AWAKENED.
E. J. Cooling, a conductor who, with
his crew, was 'dead-heading' on the
wrecked train, testified that he was asleep
encountered. He was pitched out upon
the floor from his bunk. He rushed to
ghe door Of the caboose and saw the
sleeper "Santa Cruz leave the track Just
ahead OF him and crash dewn the en-
bankment. He dressed himself quickly,
and, lighting a lamp, went down to the
sleeper. He found Brakeman Morrill,
there, and at the latter's request went
after an AK. He sent another brakeman
up the road with flag 10 stop any other
train that might come down.
After assisting the passengers out of the
sleeper the witness walked up the track
10 see what had caused the derallment.
He found that Section Foreman Cashin
and the fiagman had preceded him, and
had examined the rail.
The witness description of the condi-
ton of the track was the same as that
given by preceding witnesses.
When Conductor Murray went UP to
Che place where the rail was misplaced
he requested the witness to remain there
and see that nobody touched anything
until Roadmaster Ahern arrived.
CoRRoBoRATIvE EVIDENCE.
William Mcbride, one of Conductor
Goding's "dead-head" crew in the ca
boose, was the next witness He was
awakened by the shock. and, dressing
himself left the car. He met Section
Foreman Cashin outside, and at the lat
ter's request accompanied him up the
track to see what was the matter. Arriv-
ing at the loOSened rail and examining it,
Cashin remarked Immediately that ''it
was the work OF train-Wreck ersn - The
witness then described the condition of
the track, but it did not differ from the
testimony of other eye witnesses. He did
not sec either Of the Roberts brothers
there. As he was walking up the track,
however, he heard somebody scrambling
through the brush near the scene of the
70 RI
son, whoever he was, two or three times,
but received no answer.
David Palmateer, another "dead-head"
brakeman, gave testimony in corrObOra-
5ion of that of Conductor Cooling and
Brakeman Mcbride. He described the
scene at the sleeper and the tampered
track.
Pete Golden, section foreman in the
employ of the Southern Pacific Com
pany, and stationed at Coliax, was the
next witness. He testified that he had
made some experiments in looseninp a
rail and placing a track in the same con
dltlOn that the track was at the scene of
The wreck. be had seen the place shortly
after the wreck had occurred and remem-
oered how it looked. He performed the
feat easily and without hurrying in seven
minutes. The experiment was made on
a curve at Colfax very similar to the
curve where the wreck occurred.
SHOWED HOW IT WAS DONE.
AT the suggestion of Attorney Jones of
the prosecution, the witness gave practi-
cal demonstration in court of how he could
remove bolts and angle plates from rail-
The rails were in the room since yester-
day, when they were used in describing
the work of the wreckers, and had been
boited together for the purpose of Mr..
Golden's demonstration. He did the feat
in three minutes.
On crosS-eXamination the witness adj
mitted that the bolts he had just removed
were probably a trifie easier to handle
than those which had become set in
track. His experiment at Colfax, he said
was performed in the daytime.
Joseph Golden, proprietor of the hotel
at the Summit, was passenger on the
wrecked train and occupied one of the
sleepers which did not leave the track
Dressing himself, he said, he went out
side and seeing q sleeper in the ditch
went down to it and helped the passengers
out. After this he went up to where the
rail had been IoOsened by the wreckers,
and examined the situation. His descrip-
ton was the same as that given by others.
He said that as soon as he saw the rail he
remarked that ii was 1.-The willful work of
somebody" and he suggested that no
body should touch it until the officers ar
rived. The fact that the spikes had been
drawn and the bolts taken off convinced
him that it was the work of train-wreck-
ers.
HE FOUND THE CRoWBAR.
w. S. Coyan. a laborer, who lives at
Blue Canyon, testified that he went TO the
scene OF the wreck after it happened. He
accompanied the work train from Blue
Canyon purely out OF curiosity. He
tounged about the place for sometime,
until he heard Roadmaster Ahern and
Conductor Goding suggest that they look
for the tools used by the wreckers.