The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-01-08
The Railroad Disaster at Ian.
der Station.
Cl8HbaF and Wrench Introduced as EYi-
dence for The Prosecution.
Statements Made by the Defendant Shortly
After the Wreck duplicating
Els Brother JEFF.
Special To THE MORNING CALL

AUBURN, Jan. THE third day Of the
trial Of Al Roberts was passed in examining
witnesses for the prosecution.
S. Weuban of San Francisco. a passenger
Oh the deraued sleeper. did not think it was
more than two minutes after the wreck
before tie ear door was broken open. The
time Is Important as connecting the defend
ant with the wreck. Detective b. T. True
and Constable Dicker of Colfax testified to
having timed themselves on the ground Of
the wreck to prove by experiments as to the
time necessary to 20 from the wreck to the
sleeper Santa Cruz and other distances.
TIE entire length Of the train and the dis
lance to The derajled sleeper Santa Cruz was
made in two minutes.
CLAwBAR AND WRENCH
Rocco Ronderri, a section man, found the
clawbar November 18th. Mr. Cashan, sec
tion boss was with him. The clawbar used
is about is inches long and was former
octagon drill, with very ciumsly haul
meled claws on one end. Both claws were
broken. The piece of claw found at the
date Of the wreck i.S Oh one Of the broken
claws. This was received in evidence.
Phil Douglass, master of the wTecking
train, said he did not think the engine
would have passed the scene OF derailmenJ
II the track had been in the condition 1t was
found after the dcTalment, He said that
every truck would naturally spread it
further. and that the car Santa Cruz, when
it rolled over, probably did the most OF the
spreading.
J. IT, Campbell, a teamster, was at
7. btrts' house last IN the 18th Of October
He left bis monkey and pipe wrench on the
fence above bis outdoor bunk In the door
yard When he came back after the wreck
be found The wrench under the pillow IN his
bunk. The wrench was shown to be
capable Of use IN removing the bolts from
the fsh-u.ates OF the railroad and was given
In evidence,
Charles Trctt. locomotive engineer on the
fret section Of the deTaued train, said that
when lie passed Tie scene Of tile wreck the
track WIS AL right The two sections run
about ten minutes apart.
Walter BIeutou, fireman, corroboTa.ed
TTOit's testimony.
STATEMENTS BY THE DEFENDANT.
L. Cssaau was recalled: First knew Al
Roberts on October 10th. Al told him be
knew where the CiaW0aT was, lie told
CasLRn that If Il were bis own brother he
would give him Up. Al described the bar as
about twenty inches IN length; Il was
eght-ComeTed and was an old drill The
bar found IS just Ike the one described by
Roberts.
j. T. Dyer, constable at Colfax, saw A
Roberts on October 10Th. BE said he had
found tie ClawBaT. Dyer went with him
20 the pOtat, but lie could not mud IT,
After searching fT Ii he said; johnnie,
this socks bad for NE; I'm IN a hole He
told Dyer that Tie iron bar had been bis
fathers bar, and that the clawbar he knew
was an old drill that used TO lay about
h. Tn hl
must fuu IT, Roberts said: u am
going 10 give you the truth Of
this matter. i VIII get my brother into a
hole" On October 18th both Al AMI JEFF
Roberts were Al tie scene Of the wreck
and when one Of the officers asked Al who
Up and SAID, My God! must 1 give my
brother away?'' He pointed to JEFF and
said, There is one OF them" He never Of
fered either OF the boys reward
Ora DlOble IF the ITuc6ea Republican
Vas at CufaX al tie time and read a state
ment made by Al Roberts at Judge Stevens
room October 18Th. The statement goes On
20 say that JEFF made a proposition 10 20 10
with MIN and make some money. A states
that he would not accept The proposition.
Soon after be saw his brother JEFF going 10
the biackSMlih->hCp with the old piece Of
drill. He heard him al work IN the shop
and went there aiteTVard but found
nothing.
OFFERTD TO DIVIDE,
On the day before the wreck Al says in
his statement that he reached home at 10
o'clock at night and went to bed. JEFF was
not there. He heard a crash and got uD,
dressed and ran up to the wrecked train.
de he'll ped the passengers what be could and
got home to breakfast. JEFF came soon after.
His hands were all black. JET said, Don {
you tell on NE; / wrecked the train" a.
fold him be would tell on him and asked
him If he got anything. JEFF said he would
divide lie then returned 10 tie wreck and
found the Clawbar The statement closed
with tie claim that be said all this without
hope Of reward.
Mrs. Mcdaniel was passenger on the de-
rallied car Santa Cruz She saw Al Roberts
in the car. She lost 4 sCarf-pn which she
was sure he fastened to her dress on Tetir-
ing When she put on her dress it was gone.
1t was alt-rward returned to her as coming
from Al Roberts,
Adjourned until 10 o'clock tomorrow.