The evening times., 1897-08-24

pearance of the train TO him. in the per-
formance Of his duties, until it reached
the crossing. for him to prevent the ac-
cideat The crossing at Deanwood Is
an exceedingly dangerous one. as at
present operated, and We recommend
radical changes and reconstruction, and
the employment of gateman, separate
from she operator.
George t. Berry, William 8. GILL;
Washington Topham. William
Prpdt, r Clayton Bernheim. Sam
uel Brio ker."
The inquest yesterday was considerably
more lively than the sitting held Satnr-
day afternoon. A number Of new Wit
nesses were put on the stand during the
afternoon, and they tended to make
matters rather warm for the railroad
company for n while. The assistant attor-
ney Tor the Pennsylvania railroad, Mr..
j. s. Flsnnefy, took an active part in the
exs animation of witnesses and made
strong effort 10 prove that at the time
Of the accident Operator Baker was violat-
ing the rules of the company. Assistant
District Attorney Taggart appeared on
behalf of the District, and conducted the
examination of a number Of witnesses
who had been brought into the case through
the Investigation made by the police. 1t
was to hear these additional witnesses
that Coroner Carr had adjourned the in
quest on Saturday.
The most important witness of tue
afternoon was James e. ThiTles, the regu-
lar night operator at Deanwood, whose
place was filled The night of the accident
bN Levi Baker. He testified that the Ial!-
road cor, pany fs,i never issued orders as To
the time W hen the gates We're to be low
cred, bat that il was left To the discretion
of each operator. His custom was TO pull
Inc signals and then fasten them, after
which he lowered the gates.
Attorney Flannery here eudeayored tU
prove by a roundabout method that the
company's orders Were TO lower the gates
first.
''Do YOU pull the signals first. or lower
the gatps?" he asked.
we pun the signals first and thea lower
the gates" was the reply.
Can sou lower the gates without letting
80 OF the signals?"
mo, SIR
held the signals until the train passes?''
with a piece of iron and then lower tho
gates"
''Than you have been disobeying orders
for about three years."
II suppose SO. but if We lower the gates
first W. are apt TO be arrested for oh
sructinS the road"
Witness declined to say positively that II
was fear of arrest which impelled him "a
disObey his orders. He said he ha
worked ~ the Dean wood tower for three
years without trouble, but had often said
it was IN awful lot or work for one man
to do
The only other important witness who
threw any light on the company's side If
the case Was James II Loving, the op-
orator at Landovei. He had often worked
st Dean wood, he said. He always made
it a r5ie first 10 put down the gates. and
then work the signals That was the
only really safe way. He could not say
whether there was b'o much work at Dean
wood or not He himself had never hal
any trouble
Levi Baker, who was on duty in the
tower Friday night. was recalled. Asked
II he had ever been in the tower while
Loving worked there, he replied shat he
had, Ihany times He denied that Loving
put down tie gates before attending to
the signals Loving had done as he him.
srif mad always done, and that was To
give The train work the preference, and
work the gates as soon as, In his Iudg-
mpnt, they ought TO be put down, and
as socn as the train came in sight, IL
he had nothing else to do. There was
no absolute rule as to the letting down II
the gates 8
O,hcr witnesses examined We're Mounted
officer Boiand ald Detective Horn, who
testified as Ia the dangers of the crossing.
and Mrs. Cathe rine Gilmore. who testified
that the carriage was not moving faster
than six or seven miles an hour. This
clnsed the testimony. and the verdict was
rendered two hours later.
II is possible that the grand jury may
take sction against the railroad company,
or the officiGls directly superior To Baker.
The coroner's jury was satisfactory to
EVERYDAY so far as it exonerated Baker,
but IL Vas Thought by some that it did
not &C far enough I'm fixing the blame on
the railroad company.