The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1898-12-23

in running time and such things were
not dwelt upon. and the Leicester
street car accident and it's attendant
horrors will soon be a thing of the past
with a new motorman in Hineys place
and another conductor in Galvin's po-
sition.
The investigation was scheduled to
take place at o'clock in the afternoon,
but Director Prouty os Spencer did not
arrive on time, and it was fully 4
o'clock before the nearing actually
commenced
Ii was held in the directors room
and before President Edwin l.. Wat
son Of this city, Treasurer Thomas 4.
Robinson Of Dedham, Directors Will
Ham f. Whittemore o. Leicester, l. l..
Prouty of Spencer, George a, Smith,
Samuel e. Winslow OF this city, II. NJ.
Goddard OF Millbury and Superlntend-
ent John b. German. The witnesses
examined We're Motorman Thomas Hi
ney, Conductor Michael Calvin in
charge OF the vestibuled car, Motor
man George Hutcnins of the Inflated
box car and Conductor George Magoon
Of the same car, Inspector David l..
Bolieau, who also acts as assistant SUI
perintendent Of the division, Fred
Marsh the electrician, whose duty it
is to keep the cars In proper running
man.
After the witnesses had been exam
ined by the directors of the street rail-
way company, they were turned over to
State Detective O'Day aud Inspector
Stone of the local police force, by whom
they were rigidly ross-questioned. As
each witness was called, he was ush
cred into the directors room and the
door locked. After being examined, he
was not allowed to go out until all the
witnesses had been examined. This was
to prevent any swapping of testimony
While waiting to be called in the wit
nesses were kept in the main office.
Newspaper men were also confined to
this room and a guard was placed in
the hall to prevent an inquisitive
gatherer of news from getting too close
to the door of the directors room.
Later in the afternoon, the guard was
removed, but the newspaper men were
notified that no information would be
given out until evening, and when they
left the building, the street door was
locked. Every witness examined was
cautioned against statements to the
press, and every possible effort was
exerted by the directors to keep the
proceedings secret.
The first witness called was Fred
Marsh, the company's master mechanic
and expert electrician, who has charge
of the repairing of the motive appara-
tus Of the cars used on the line. Mr.
Marsh testified to the condition of the
two cars which figured in the wreck,
both before and after it occurred
When they left his inspection on the
day Of the accident they We're in his
opinion, in good condition. Nothing
was wrong with their motive appara-
tus and they were in the usual con-
dition of cars sent out for their daily
runs upon the line
After the accident Mr.. Marsh saw
the cars again. They were badly
wrecked and torn UP and their motive
apparatus was thrown out of true and
rendered generally unit for use, but
so far az he was able to judge, the
accident was not due TO any failure on
the part of the working parts of either
car. The brakes on the vestibule had
held and were on when the cars were
Deen very careful one, and he was
positive that the accident was not due
TO any failure in the working parts of
the cars.
Superintendent German testified to
the general rules of the road. Under
these, the two cars figuring in the ac-
cident should have met at the top
Of the hill on the turnout opposite ST
Joseph's Church. Why the rules had
not been carried out in this instance
he could not say. So far as he was
able to state, the motorman and con-
ductor figuring in the accident were
good reliable men, and he knew moth
ing against them in the past
inspector Bolieau testified to the rules
Of the road, stating them substantially
the same as Superintendent German. It
is his duty to see to the direction and
actual operation of the road, and he is
thoroughly familiar with every detail
of the work. He stated very positively
that the two cars should have met at
the turnout opposite st. Joseph
church
That they did not meet there, he con-
sdered plainly the fault of the Leices-
ter bound car. So far as he had been
able to learn, the car made no stop
there whatever, the motorman running
straight ahead. The turnouts be-
tween Leicester and Worcester on
which. the special afternoon, or ten
minute" cars are supposed to wait, are
at the barn, opposite st. Joseph church.
at city line, at Webster square, or New
Worcester, at Gardner street, and at
Sa'en square. He had taken pains to
have the rules posted in the barn.
The system under which the cars