The evening times., 1897-08-24

1t is likely that the question Of the re-
spOnsilality for the Deanwood disaster will
lie settled in the courts. Assistant District
Attorney Taggart is inclined to prosecute,
and lhe Pennsylvania Railroad Company
viii put up the strongest defense that it
can.
Mr Tagcart raid To-Day that response
l,ni,y for the disaster must rest soniew here,
and the cUroner's jury had found that IL
old not rcst with the victims of the acci-
deaf The coroner's jury had eNonerated
tho enlploye OF the railroad, and that III
looked TO him individually ar If the respon
slDilny was with the railroad company.
Mr. Taggart said he would bring the mat
lcT to the attention OF the jury.
The rJr.,ha hlity is that an indictment
will he brought cainst the superintendent
of The railroad ior manslaughter, and
tnat tie railroad viii SEEK to prove that
il was Involuntary nanslaughter at most.
La add ten to criminal proceedings il
Is likely that "a civfl suit will be brought
against the railfoad company. This suit
must be brought by the representatives
name sum in damage.
TIE railroad company viii contest tEis
suit. and il is thought by some attorneys
with whom The Times talked today that
tie most ti,at could be recovered in this
suit would be tie value OF the horses and
carriage, unless it be proved tina. other
people were dependent upon the carr.
ings of those who were killed.
The highest official Of the Pennsylvania
roadin wsshing ton is the generalagent IL
was Mr. william, chief clerk 10 this officer,
whom the reporter saw this afternoon.
He could not discuss the matter in ad-
vance Of action by the district attorney.
Hedid not kno " what action, IL any, would
be taken
The tower operator, Levi 4. Ba Ser, is
directly under the employ OF Mr.. j. N
Kates. the division operator OF this sec-
tion OF the system. Whose orflees are io-
Gated ir Wilmington. Mr.. Bakers 'irtfes
are indicated 10y Mr.. kates, and he is re-
spon>ible for giving MIR. Baker more work
thar he can attend 10. la a certain sense,
therefore he is respons' BILE for the accident.
Mr.. ]. r. II Hutchinson, the general Inanagrr
Of tie Pennsylvania system, whose Of
fees are located in Pnila adelphia, is th- man
WHO hired Mr. Baker aud who pays lirn his
monthly salary. II is considered that III a
suit is brought it must be directed against
one of these TWO men.
The verdict of The coroner's Jury in the
Deanw3Ud horror was rendered late yester-
day afternoon and fixed the responsibility
for the deaths of Judge Heroine CIaughton
and Mss villa {. Custis upon the PennsyI
10 pafIr tn hal no
corporation failed 10 afford proper protec
ton at the crossing. The jury exonerated
Levi T Baker, the tower operator, from all
blame. as it considered Unat the evidence
showed him To have more duties than he
could properly attend to. The Jury also
regards she neanwood crossing as exceed
ingly dangerous and holds that two men
should be employed there
The verdict in full, rendered after TWO
hours deliberatioa. was as follows:
"Hierome o. Claughton and Villa c.
Gusts cane g. theiE deaths as the result
OF Injuries recelN cd in a collision with
train No. Ga on the Pennsylvania rail-
way at Deanwood crossing in the Dis
trict of Columbia, on the Goth OF August,
1897, about o'clock. We find that the
d'aths of said Hierome o. Claughton and
Nilla {. Gusts were brought about by
the negligence of the railway not having
sufficient protection at the cross ing
That the persons killed were not guilty
Of negligence, as the gates Usually low
cred across the road at this point upon
the approach OF a train were not lowered
at the time of the aforesaid collision.
We exorerate the operator If the gates,
Levi Baker, from blame, as he was in
the actual discharge of his duties at the
tine OF the accident, as laid down by the
rules OF the company, and there was
not sufficient time fror the first ap-