The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-08-12
YROLLEY-TRAGEDY INQUEST
ONE WITNESS DECLAREST THE RAILS
 VERB DEPRESSED.
Engineer Starr Again on the stand Anonymous Letters Received by the Tuesday Morning.

Coronec-An Adjournment UMEtI Ncx
 Tuesday Morning.
 Bridgeport, Aug. 1.-The morning
 session of the coroners jury which i
 lnquiring into the causes of the Strat
 ford trolley catastrophe dragged some
 what slowly because of the difficulties
 experienced by the sheriff in locating
 desired witnesses.
 The first witness examined to-day
 was George T. Jewell, the town clerl
 of Stratford. He stated that he was
 the scene of the accident before all th'
 bodies had been removed from tn
 wreck Later he examined the abut
 ment of the bridge and the approach
 He noticed that the ties were loose tol q distance of from six to eight feet, anc that they yielded to his weight percep- tibly. At this point there was no dirt under or between the ties, and he re. marked this condition of things to by. islanders. His opinion was that the dirt had worked loose under the jarring of many passing cars. There was also, he said, noticeable depression in the rails pronounced enough, in his opinion, tc cause a rapidly moving car to leave the rails. He said his weight was general ly about 150 pounds.
 Engineer Starr was next called and offered in evidence a map of the ap- proach and the bridge. He was of the opinion that the weight of 150 pounds would not cause the ties or rails to yield. The rails used on the road weigh fifty-six pounds to the yard. Had the rails been worked loose from the ties, he thought, loosening spikes would have resulted. He was asked several vigor- ous questions as to whose duty it was to care for the approach and see that 1t was in proper condition. He replied that it was his duty as much as any one's. He added that this work was done by the road, and that he, as the engineer, was supposed to see that things were properly done. He added that he went over the trestle at l:3o Sunday afternoon on the front plat form of car; detected no jolt or un- easiness. He thought it probable that the dirt under the ties on the approach might have been loosened by people who clambered up and down after the accident. One of the jurors repeated the question put to the engineer early in the inquest, as to his opinion as to the cause of the accident. He again de- clined to express an opinion.
 David MacGregor, an inspector of the road was the next witness. He tesu- fled that he knew the wrecked car fair ly we'll; he never knew of it's having been derailed, and had never known Of it's being in any trouble.
 At this point the jury retired to hold a consultation
 After several hours of deliberation the coroner's jury decided to adjourn until 10:30 o'clock Tuesday morning. 1t is understood that they have not as yet determined whether or not the inquest will be concluded without having se- cured the testimony of every person now alive who was on the car at the time the accident occurred. Several of the victims are at the Bridgeport hos pital, some of them not in a condition to be examined or to give information to the jury. Coroner Doten also stated that the jury has received a large num- Der of communications, some ot them anonymous, claiming that the writer either was a witness to the accident and can give interesting testimony re- garding the occurrence, or that the sender knew of some person or persons who could do so. He added that the jury had about decided not to take final adjournment until every available piece of evidence is secured. For that reason the adjournment until Tuesday was taken, that the sheriff and several officers who have been appointed to as- sist him, may locate desired persons and summon them to appear before the next session of the jury. These officers also will make efforts to find the writers of the anonymous letters, that their tes timony may be secured. Coroner DOten | thinks it not improbable that at least fifteen witnesses. not including those now in the hospital here, will testify | before the jury renders its verdict in the case.
 Before the adjournment Of the jury | This afternoon three more witnesses were heard. They were J. P. Curley, Robert J. Andrews and Joseph A. Bar ton. CurIey corroborated the testimony of former witnesses as to the condition of the rails and ties on the approach, near the south end of the bridge. Bar ton testified to having seen number of workmen engaged in filling in and tamping dirt about the ties between ' and o'clock Monday morning. He testified that he saw several carloads of earth brought up and dumped near the end of the bridge All this earth was used about the ties between ' and o'clock
 A CONTRACTOR TALKS.
 Dight w. Blakeslee, of the firm of c. W. Blakeslee & Sons, of New Haven who constructed the bridge over which the trolley car was wrecked in Strat- ford last Sunday, was asked yesterday about the story which was told by a