The sun., 1898-10-15
PAD THE JURY WITH WINE
Wilmington City Railway Com
pany Buys a Verdict Of ''Not
Guilty From Jurors.
WITNESSES WERE GAGGED
After Rendering Verdict of Exonera.
tiOn OF Death OH Nephi Linsey the
jury Drank the Railway Com.
pany's Wine at the Clay.
ton House.
WITNESSES WERE GAGGED


= s'
Paid by the Wilmington City Railway
Company with cigars and wine, cor
oner's jury last night declared that
Nephi Linsey was killed accidentally
and the Railway Company was not to
blame for his death.
Never before in the history of the
county has the jury of coroner been so
flagrantly corrupted and the justice of
fair and upright investigation defeated.
With the blood of murdered boy on
its hands the Wilmington City Railway
Company adds another crime to its list.
The company last night paid for a
verdict which exonerated it of murder.
The company last night gave cigars
and wine to a jury drawn by Deputy
Coroner James +. Chandler, in order
that that Jury would declare the COM
pany not the cause of Nephi Linsey's
death-his murder.
Too economical to tuy tenders for
the street-cars which daily menace the
public, the railway company last night
expended the same price, for which they
could be bought, in the purchase of wine
for Jury which was drawn to investi-
gate the death of Nephi Linsey.
At o'clock the jury drawn by Coroner
Chandler assembled at the coroner's
Office, No. 2l3 West Ninth street, tor the
purpose of holding an inquest over the
remains of young Linsey.
The jury was composed as follows:
Foreman Charles Whann, Deputy Sheriff
Harry Gillis, Captain Downing, Edward
Myers, W. H. Murphy, J. w. Wood
ward, James Dougherty, Charles Guyer,
and Howard Garrett.
Gathered with them was Harvey B.
Vandegrift, assistant general man
ager of the Wilmington City Passenger
Railway Company.
Soon after the opening of the inquest
it became evident that the coroner's
investigation was not to investigate.
s The representative of the railway COM
pany handed around box of cigars be-
fore the inquest opened. Each Juror took
one.
Every witness called was allowed to
tell his story to certain point and then
they were gagged.
Open neutrality-suspicious. which if
answered in the affirmative would in
criminate the railway company, were
asked. They were never answered. The
jury and the representative of the rail-
way company choked the question off
and the witness was not allowed to an
sWer.
Gag rule reigned supreme and any dis
position to assert the truthful status of
Nephi Linsey's death was frowned upon
and promptly gagged.
'The investigation" ended and the
jury rendered verdict of accidental
death. They did more. They exoner-
ated the company from all responsibility
III causing the death of young Linsey.
Only one part of that disgraceful in
vestigation had the least sembance of
right and justice to it. 1t was this; the
jury exonerated the conductor who had
charge of and was running the car at the
time of the death of the slaughtered boy.
Nothing but terrific daily strain on
the bodies and minds of the motormen
and conductors save the lives of many
persons from the fenderless cars on the
streets Of this city.
The jury's verdict was satisfactory to
the Railway Company, and Assistant
General Manager Vandergrift invited all
the jurors to the Clayton House. They
accepted his invitation.
At the Clayton House Manager Vande-
grift engaged private room and into it
the jury filed.
More cigars were passed around and
wine was served freely.
That coroner's jury accepted wine
from the Wilmington City Railway Com
pany in exchange for verdict exonerat-
ing the company from the murder of
Nephi Linsey.
4 bottle of wine and tenders cost the
same.
The Wilmington City Railway Com
pany prefers to spend its money for
wine with which to influence coroner's ;
jnries than to spend the same sum in |
the purchase of tenders for its street cars,
thereby. protecting citizens lives and
precluding the possibility Of an inquest
over the body Of trolley ctim.
The Wilmington City Railway Com
pany is aware of the fact that it muir.
dered Nephi Linsey through murder
GUS poliry of economy" acknowledged
this last night when it sent representa-
tive to buy off the jury which was drawn
to investigate the young mans death.
The absence OF tenders on the Front
street car caused the death of Nephi
Linsey and will cause the death OF many
more.
The citizens who last night heard of
the diabolical scheme enacted by the
railway company in paying for a verdict
OF exoneration, with bottle of wine,
righteous indignation.
In view OF the fact that coroner's
juries will sell themselves for cigars and
wine, then the people demand that the
Wilmington City. Passenger Railway
Company provide tenders for their pro-
lection.
Wine and tenders cost the same.
No Arc Light Yet.