Waterbury evening Democrat., 1891-12-29
HASTINGS SMASR-UP
Brakeman Herrick's Part in
the Terrible Wreck.
HIS STATEMENT PUBLISHED.
Says He Thought the Next Train Was
the Oroton Local

Somewhat Subsided-Hs May be Sem
fenced to Twenty Years' Imprisonment
at Hard Labor if Caught-The New
York Police Do Not Think He win
Commit Suicide and Expect to Capture
Him in a Day Two.
PoUGHKEEPsIE, N. Y, Dec 90
Timothy Herrick, father of the New
York Central brakeman whose careless
ness, it is alleged, caused the disas-
trous railroad accident at Hastings on
Hudson, Chistmas eve, is in this city.
He says he has seen ibis son in New
York at the latter's request and that
his son has written a statement as to
his share in the responsibility for the
accident.
Mr. Herrick says he has urged his
son to go to the railroad officials, but
he has refused on the ground that he
deems it unsafe to make his where
abcuts known until public opinion has
| become calmer SO that he can be fairly
heard. Mr.. Herrick publishes a state
ment made by his son. 1t reads as fol-
lows:
Il would say, in reference to the acct
dent north of Hastings, Christmas Eve
that when our train slowed mp, but
while yet moving, dropped off and
|
then ran back to the train, which was
still moving; but as it slowed up more
| took my lights and started down the
track to stop the Croton local, then
nearly due.
when half way down 1 placed one
torpedo on the rail and then walked on
down to the station, thinking it better
to notify the engineer there before he
was fairly under way again.
"When 1 got to the station l placed
my lights on the platform and tue red
light showing south, and then stepped
onto the pl atform and inquired of the
agent how the local was.
He said he did not know and l sat
down and remained there three to five
| minutes, when l heard the train COM
ing and started for the door, believing it
: to be the local. But soon as l saw the
train l knew it was the express and l
grabbed my light and tried to attract
the engineers attention, but 1t was too
3 late
, Il followed on up the track, hoping
that the train had left twenty minutes
:. before had pulled out of the way. l
soon saw a man coming back with a
! red light. Soon as l got to him | asked
: what had happened and he said they
;. had struck something, but he did not
!, know what it was. l went on further
and met another man and asked If any
one was hurt and he said all in the
sleeper were killed.
. Il did not deem it prudent for me to
: | go to the wreck, so l turned about and
came to New Y ork. l fully realize tbs
awful position l am placed in and can
only say l felt too sure the train IT,
come first was the local.
NEW YORK, Dec. 29.-Chief Detective
; Humphreys, of the New York Central
i Railroad force, came down from POUCH
, keepsie and had Il conference with Gen
: eral Superintendent Voorhees, i'll relation
= to Albert Herrck, the brake al
whose carelessness caused the Christine
eve disaster on the Hudson River Rail
road, between Hastings AMI Dobbs
J. Ferry.
t Chief Humphreys said THAI Herrick
C was still at large. The chief places nc
= credence in The report that the unfor-
= tunate fellow had committed suicide
/ ''He knows too much for that, saiC
9 the detective, land | expect to locate
J., him in day or two.
i If caught and convicted Herric.l may
Q receive a sentence of twenty years at
J. hard labor in prison.
s Herricks father, when seen in New
O York, said:
v 81 believe he will commit suicide,
It he said, 'he told me that he would com
j. init suicide
Or did he tell you anything about the
accident?i
He says he could not understand how
he neglected his duty; he was confused
aa After the accident he went up the road
% and met Charles Ray, the brakeman O
le No. 7, the train that ran into Gibraltar
IN Ray, who was on mis- way to flag tn
at next train, first told him of the acci
IN dent. Ray ran on down the track ant
70 Albert followed him slowly"
n From those who were in the caboos
b. it was learned that upon hearing tina
IL Id 1 Il,
" rick lost his head and raved wildly
After a bit he Quilted down, and striI
ping off his coat threw ii down and pu
on a pea jacket which he carried. Il
sat for a time in the corner, and the
y said abruptIp: ''This ends my raj
n reading; 1 guess rll skip"
e. With that he disappeared.
Us Mr. Herrick was asked whether he has
Up any idea that his son would give hi m
a, self up The old man repeated that
a, thought Al bert would commit sui cid
er The police, however, do not put muc
n faith in this theory: they know tina
g the young man has money and do n
he think he is far from the city.
Superintendent Mccoy remarked tina
there could be no doubt of the fact tina
Herrick thought the next train to com
t. along would be the Croton local, whic
g woult- stop at Hastings without sigma
I'd ing But he should have gone dow
at the track and displayed the slgnal
IT, matter what he thought concerning til
9W train. 'a-
a WHITE PLAINS, NJ Y, Dec 29.-Di
b 9 trict Attorney Platt states that
it will ask to have Albert Herrick, tt
me brakeman alleged to- have been resp
sible for the Hastings accident indict'
for manslaughter. He says that he W
most likely have the train dispatch
;lo indicted who sent the two express tral
10 out from the Grand Central station
~ knowing that the road was blocked c
"a account of the wreck at Sing Sing
de
on Crazed by Fear.