The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1896-08-03
FIXING THE BLAME
Coroner's Inquest Into the
Atlantic City Horror
Begun Today.
READINGS RIGHT OF WAY
Lawyers TO Fight for Both Roads
Terms of the Crossing
Agreement.
READINGS RIGHT OF WAY
specie, 70 The jersey citv Ne,cs.

1,r n-rrc, 1,rrrv. 49,, 1one All +he
.s,a4s,,. - rr,,,,,,sda,,,s railroad wreck in
- $1,000, r,.ssaa co,ofortable
,..s,. ,,+art,,,,a,, mat all
go I4s,.ast !, t,,a 70 j
80 - t,,o ,,,e,,,ast r,,,,io,, x.,a
.,sss ~ f-,,re,,ar yvi,l;a M
'ee"'i -. i' = ,'s...e. ,,o,a
uel's. : i.ii'i ~ 80 4.s,tss
IA oooieio~s ila.' g = va ''
Dig CROWD Wouia pe piessn' is 81
tlclpation was hoe aiioseliiet iul,,i's0' az
when the nrst Wltness was caileu ny
han was only comiortapiy hiieu Aie
jury IS composed OF Fepreseiteaeise ous'-
ness men OF the city ana - iiisaae up %
follows
Foreman, Charles Evans, President oi
the Atlantic City National BANK; eA-
County Clerk Lewis Evans, eX-Postnas-
ter Levi Albertson, c. q. Adams, grocer
Thomas j. Dickerson, merchant, ana CITY
Hall Commissioner John B. Champion
The Reading Railroad is represented by
Judge Joseph H. Thompson of this city
and the Pennsylvania by Judge Gaskiii,
of Mount Holly.
while the Coroner is not entitled by
law TO counsel. Prosecutor of Pleas
Perry was present and helped him with
his advice upon the legal points which
arasa The railroad companies have pre-
pared drawings of the spot where the
accident occurred and 6ile tracks leading
nm to the spot and those maps were
tackled upon the wall and were frequent
ay referred to.
When the inquest opened Judge Gas
kill asked if he might be permitted to
assist the Coroner and jury with his
advice, as he was in possession of tacts
that might assist them in reaching
veqiact W'hen Judge 1asklii cellciuoeu'
Judge 1hompsoh staeeei sAal tne heauins
Company mad Drought Its enpfeyes 10 uhe
inquest and that the road wished for the
e,,1ee+ s,,-aStie,otion hui tl,at he tl,o,,e,ht
iuifSae . s''tsi'' -, p.
1t would be petter ana that the puphc
would be better pleased if counsel for
neither road assistad at tbe ;nnuest
,rs,.a' Ise c,as,..1, aess, f,ss.,,a,
'uase 1as'A4n ac.easo ~ tnis sasu ~ Auieiisi
suggested that ne ana Judge thompson
consult with Prosecutor Perry as to a
rnade of nroeedure to he followed prose-
- I.
euucf fetiy AZ eep-y safa tiat ne was
only present by request OF Coroner Nc
Iauehlin and that his snle dilty in the
,,,,;t.,
oesv coii74sseu - leaiaiins VINO Was eflih-
ifaaily responsible for the accident, but
that he was willing TO do .anvfl7ins the
= s---,7 -
Coroner wished.
THE suggestions Of the two counsel met
- .a Ia app' - .. a',.. 1.'e W.
fa"ssrs heiu d SNORT consultation with
Mr.. Perry.
i'e " "lepess eaiiea was inoinas w,
Tfenchard, city Solicitor of Bridgeton,
ana nephew of Mr. and Mrs. Richard
ireischalu, VINO met oeath IN the acci-
dent MI Perry questioned the witness
and Mr. Trenchard testified that he iden-
..<s, ~. - -, -
tIiIed the bodies of Charles P. McGeer
his uncle and aunt. J. Dewey johnson
and q number af Rr,deeton naonla in the
a. l,.gi ue u az as ei4ue.
en5 - M t % NJ o she iatat tram
~ a ,Ha,r+ ,,,;t,- 49,. 49, - sf
Of R-ideeton who also fas3ifS5 FL co1,,e =
inc he~s and ds steS.i ~ ~
5assrl ~-Ao y iei ist1y S q Huiiis'ei u Ing
IL. 7 a1,,;s Sander s,,,,,.,, ph,-,,.o -
tnis ear,,t-- mo- as,ltsS ,3d rai,.5 al 49, -
~ - = - .; eiiu ielaeeo no"
=, ,rf If fha dst 1 ~ ~ ing
ia fhe vx5a.,naeS He deseri5I ~ 80 49,
fristi,. - s+-,a ~. - ~ eiie Jul
fbe @sad 81 the n, are,s M ies aiiions
n p sy,;S,,s,ss,,.1 - , 49,, - .,,
x7;na,e,5 y "a - q 49, AsNylil5 4sy5
1e,.~a1 - jfzoed We lpsiJ - " ene sitSS 81
fllat ne rad rn95es fi1e mans of The lo7eaist-
OF the disasf.eA, which were on the walls
from drawings on the sDot For con-
-yenience sake the maps were numbered
Nos. and 3. -
Under Mr.. Perry's direction Mr. Thomp-
son pointed 10 the jury the positions on
the map of the signal tower ana the sig
raj poles On each road approaching
from both directions towards the tower
lae d1st2nce5 signal. as 1t is known, is,
aagul one Thousand feet The Hone
slgnai approaching the tower towards At
1antle Gity on the Reading road is one
sntaoieu soa IS leet eastant from IN eae crossing,
aIid ste "a tne ne otner direction 1877 feet He
s., ~ tns po1st l1 3H sns map Wnere as
tower Tb?s noint e a,o,a oer fs dne
fhe lower ~ ho9h ii,sas ~ aoout d hiie from
e II Hf2e,cocl, II cs,,;, ar,x,,,o
ployed hv the asaing ssii sassris sns,nees en- m
rofSts m tl esciiDeu ~ lne
vsilay, t,,,a LA -. ~ tile Tieasahl
sra-s tte si1rosd q,,d 5.s uls5aace
q + zt,,e, 1851 reaa tne
- - ~. ~ ps S Stle tMo Iahroaus py
VII WlllcA rlle reeaalig company permits the
,es 49, Seisses 70 cross its tracks at the
poaat pm -, u lhe acciashl m considefat,on of
sne idtieF eempany iaylng the crossing
ann ,l.m ~ atlldfsiing 7 ii pn2t the mode OF sig
nslllng az lhe crossing and the. control
ol tne operator should be agreed to by
Ine general managers of the two roads
SQEsecuently It was agreed that the West
Jersey sa2u,d pay the tower operator and
the Reading control and hire him; that
all trains should pass the crossing at a
SLOW rate Of speed and ready to be stop
ped at distance Of $50 feet unless a sig-
nal Of clear track was given. The Read
Ing trains were given the priority Of Ghe
cross rg- The distance signal when the