The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1893-09-27
THE ENGINEER AT FAULT.
GROSS NEGLIGENCE CAUSED THE
Loss OF EIGHT LIVES.
Testimony Of Thomas Ames mt Kan
kakee-DecIares He Was Very Near
the First Section Before He Saw the
SignaI-Dead and Injured.

KANKAKEE, ILL.,, Sept. 19.-The coro-
ner's inquest this afternoon developed
enough testimony to show that Thomas
Ames, the engineer of the second sec
ton of the Washington Express, was
exceedingly negligent in managing his
engine and it looks as if the jury would
hold him to await the action of the grand
jury, but nothing as yet has been acted
upon. During his examination he was
very nervous. and on being questioned
showed a tendency to conflict with pre-
vious testimony.
The other evidence presented showed
that both sections of the train were late
and had been blocked in Chicago and
We're running rapidly to try and make
up time to Kankakee. Ames stated that
he was running at about forty-five miles
an hour and could not have stopped his
train within leo rods from the rear of
the train. He claims that but one signal
light was burning and that but dimly
and reversing his lever he jumped off
the train. This was the first time that
Ames had ever pulled this train. He
has been engineer for seventeen years
and with the Illinois Central for ten
years, having had a passenger run for
about two months. AS soon as he re-
gained his feet after leaping from the
train he went to the fagman and asked
why he did not flag at the right distance,
but the flagman claims he was back the
regulation distance, having jumped from
the first section with signals when the
train was going at a speed of twelve
miles an hour.
Corrected LIST Of dead.
Miss MINNIE DEGAN, New Albany.
Ind.
j. w. POWELL, New Vienna, o.
CHRIS KIMMEL, Dayton, o.
]. G. SWEET, 81 Reed-st., Louisville,
KY.
DAVID JACKSON, Cynthiana, o.
JACOB SNIFFLER, Columbus, o.
CHARLES DINKENDUTCHER, Co
lumbus, o.
Unknown lady supposed OF have board
ed with Mrs. o. Edwards, AZ Forty-third
ST., Chicago.
List of injured:
Three victims at st. Luke hospital are
in a doubtful condition. They are:
Blanche Belleson. Sinking Springs, o.,
probably fracture Of skull and injury to
spine.
william Evans Powellton, West Vir-
ginia, superintendent of coal works. spine
injured.
A. J. Shelter. Ripley, o.. merchant, legs
cut and internal injuries
Eleven others at st. LulSe's are suffer-
ing injuries less severe. They are:
l.. II. Blanton. Indianapolis. Ind.
James w. Braun. carriage manufacture
err. Wilmington, O., legs bruised.
Mrs. Braun, Wilmington, o.. feet
crushed.
George Brackney, farmer, Wilmington,
legs broke and shoulder dislocated.
Miss Sallie Evans, daughter of William
Evans. Of Powellton, w. Va, slight
bruises.
James Foster. Springfield. o.. painful
Mrs. James Foster. Springfield. bruises.
not serious.
Libbie Jackson. Cynthiana, o., shoulder
hurt.
Mrs. Charles Kimmel, injured about
hips.
James Wilbur Means, lawyer, Chester.
5. c.. cut and bruised
Carey 3. Wishart, Frankfort, o., face
cut.
Olive Patton. Carmel. o.. badly cut
and scalp wound.
Emily Templin, Sinking Springs, N. Y,
bruises and cuts.
Annie Cowells. Lower Albany. Ind,
slightly bruised and cut about the body
Jessie Morse, Cincinnati, badly injured
internally.
Emma Gallatin, Columbus, o., back
and limbs bruised.
The bodies Of the dead were in terri
BILE shape. One man had all the flesh
scraped clean from the bone of the
lower portion Of his leg, his foot cut off
at the ankle and his skull crushed to
a pulp. Another victims head was
nearly torn off, while the left side of the
face of another is missing. Two Of the
bodies were found crushed under the
trucks of the sleeper and almost unrec-
ognizable. Two young men from Co
lumbus, o., identified the bodies Of their
fellow townsmen, while Messrs. Eckert
and Pease of Dayton arrived to take
charge of the body Of Chris Kimmel
He was a prominent citizen Of Dayton
and had resided there thirty years Mr.
Jackson Of Columbus, o., was travelling
with his niece and four other ladies and
they were just returning from week
at the fair