The record-union., 1894-08-08
SEARCHING FOR THE TRUTH.
Testimony in the rain-Wrecking
Case at Woodland.
L WOMAN TELLS OF HOW SHE WAS
THREATENED.
The Death of Engineer Clark Foretold
How the Rails Were Tampered
With-Graphic Story of the Depart
ure ana Wreck of the Fated Train,
as Told by Fireman Denekamp'
Special to the REcoRp-UNIos.

WOODLAND, Aug. THE testimony OF
Fireman Denekamp and of Mrs. Van Hu-
sen, the first, who went with Sam Clark to
his awful death; the other, who had
promised to go with him throughout life,
gave to-day's proceedings in the train
wrecking examination peculiar interest.
THE FIREMAN's STORY.
The fireman's story was graphic and
impressing, and his picture of the plunge
of the engine off the bridge, the Kissing
of the escaping steam, the mad sputter-
ing of the scalding waters that seethed
about the upturned locomotive, sent
thrill of horror through crowded and
fntently listening courtroom.
81 ran down off the embankment to see
what had become of Clark" said the
fireman. "but could see nothing of him."
CRUEL cRoss-ExAMINATIoN.
Widow Van Husen was recalled to
prove certain declarations made by Ray
and Reed, two noisy strikers VINO
boarded at her house.
Harris cross-eXamiation OF TINS Iady
was cruel and unjustified.
THE FIRST WITNESS.
H. T. McClaffe was the first witness
called. / reside in Sacramento, and my
occupation is roadoverseer for the South
ern Pacific Company. know Knox and
Mullin.
on June 29th I saw strikers disabling
trains and inducing the train crews to
leave. / saw an engine taken from the
yards across the bridge, and IL was there
tkilled."
Did you see anything of canon?" in
quired MIR. Bruner.
Saxy q canon in q hOX car on Front
and r streets; it was in the possession OF
American Railway Union men; had 1t
removed to military headquarters"
Ibid you have any conversation with
Mr.. Knox during the striker"
mo, sir. On July Sd l talked with
Mullin., A threatening crowd had
gathered around an engine at the depot.
I asked Mullin why he didn't keep them
back, and he answered, What can a
man do with a crowd like that?'
THE TRAGEDY AT THE TREsTLE.
''I was in Sacramento at the time the
train was wrecked; Immediately made
up relief train to 90 to the scene: we
arrived there about I:30 P. NJ"
Mr.. Bruner here introduced to the at
tention of the witness wooden model of
the trestIe, and witness was asked to de-
scribe by it the manner in which the rail
was Ioosened. Witness described the
condition of the bridge.
The rail on the north side had been
looseDed nearly the entire length OF the
srestIe, and the ties showed marks of the
claw bar used in Withdrawing the spikes;
the holes were clear, the rust remaining
ia the wood undisturbed.
Three photographs of the wreck were
Endorsed as correct by the witness, and
offered in evidence.
On cross-examination:
"Think it was July 18th when I found
the cannon in the box car; it was half
milo from the depot. l ran it down to the
depot, and turned it over to Colonel Gra
ham. 1t was steel gun, six-inch bore"
MORE ALLEGED SARCASM.
ssYou took the cannon up to the depot,
then, and turned it over to the military
forces of the Southern Pacifc?" asked
General Hart.
mo, | did not"
''Wha did you do?"
81 turned it over to the military au-
thorities of the United States Govern
nent."
"Ohr
Witness was not roadmaster at the
time q derailment occurred about two
years ago. at or near Webster. between
Sacramento and Davisville; never heard
about that accident; heat sometimes will
expand the rails and cause them TO warp
and spread.
POSSIBILITIES AND THEORIES.
General Hart then cross-examined the
witness as to probabilities and possibiIi
ties as to the rail displacement.
Witness did not see any evidences of
an explosion.
''W ere there guard rails on this tres
tle?''
''Yes; there were wooden stringers on
the outside; there were no inside iron
guard rails
lis it not fact that the guard rails rem
der a derailment less liable?"
Mr.. Cook objected to the question; it
was a matter that had nothing to do with
the case.
Hart replied that he was not sure in his
own. mind that the railroad company did
not cause the wreck, and it was pertinent
to show every fact that disclosed any
carelessness on the part of tile company,
or that gave any color to the theory that
someone else beside the defendants had a
hand in the wreck.
TAMPERED WITH THE TRACK.
Thomas O'Connor, track foreman, was
track on July Sd. Walked TO the place,
half mile from the Yolo bridge, and
found a rail torn up. The fish plates
were removed and the spikes drawn out.
Witness replaced the rail and spiked it
down. Found on the EN- bankment near
the displaced rail two large wrenches.
Witness corroborated Deputy Marshal
Maloney as to the trip in hand-car on
July 4th to Davisvile to inspect the road.
Worden, Hatch and six other strikers.
with witness and two Deputy Marshals,
went over the road.
On cross-examination witness said that
the loosened rail found on July Sd was
Jour or five miles from trestle, two
miles toward Sacramento from the wreck
of July 11th.
Witness did not know who displaced
the rail and was not aware that the rail-
road authorities had issued any orders to
cause any rails to be loosened.
Witness was not an A. r. L. man. He
was acquainted with defendants.
MR.. HEINTzELMAN's ACCOUNT.
7. ". Heintzleman, Master Mechanic
Southern Pacific Company. was the next
witness. He testified that on june Doth.
the day the strike was declared. he saw
Knox at the depot endeavorinp to indnce
the engineer and fireman TO leave their
posts on train No. 3, which had arrived
from San Francisco.
On the following day, when train No.
came in from Ogden, strikers got the en-
gineer 10 quit. also the fireman. Wit
ness went into the cab and pulled the
train down into the depot. and someone
threw mOnkeywrench at witness
Knox and Compton were in the crowd
from which the missile was thrown.
On July Sd, when the crowd discon-
nacted the PullmanS, and ran them back
witness saw Mullin at the head of the
crowd: he seemed to be the leader.
Witness testified to going TO Marshal
BaIdwin's rescue on that memorable day,
after which he returned to the engine.
Then six or eight strikers came up,