Omaha daily bee., 1899-01-12
FIX BLAME ON The DEAD
Inquiry Relative to Rock Island Wreck Near
Council Bluffs.
VERDICT RETURNED BY coRoNER's JURY
Members Find that Engineer Taylor
Did Not obey Orders and Also
Failed to Make switch in Time
to Avoid Collision.

The inquest held by Coroner Treynor
| Wednesday morning over the body OF >. W.
| TAYLOR. the engineer. killed In the wreck on
| the Rock Island at the Chautuaqua SWITCH
| resulted in the jury bringing In the foliow-
ing verdict:
"said Taylor came to his death by acci-
| dent near the Chautauqua switch on the
| Chicago. Rock Island & Pacific railroad, said
accident being caused by a collision between
the train Of which he was engineer ana the
eastbound local freight. Said accident was
caused by his failure to make said SWITCH.
The jury consisted Of Frank Levin, H. u
McGee and w. s. Homer. The witnesses
examined were ]. B. Rishel, local agent OF
the Rock Island and the surviving members
of the crews Of the two trains.
Chief interest centered in the testimony
Of Conductor Hanifan Of the extra freight,
as It was expected that his evidence would
disclose on what orders bis train was run
ming and who was responsible for the wreck.
He testified that before reaching Weston ne
looked at his watch and saw that he had
inst thirteen minutes in which to make the
Chautauqua siding before the arrival OF the
local freight. He was sitting In the capoose
when the collision occurred and was not
looking out, as he expected Taylor TO make
The aiding. His rear brakeman had left the
cohoo.e a moment before. Witness sup
nosod be had gone to assist In making the
switch.
Reeard,ng his orders Hanifan said he re-
ceived them at Van Meter, to look out TOT
regular trains and clearance orders at
Ayoca and Atlantic. 1t was understood py
him and Engineer Taylor that they were 10
take the Chautauqua siding for NO. o. tne
local eastbound freight. He believed tney
could have made the siding II tne 'o'"
freight had slowed up a little.
Hanifan testified that when, with Con-
ductor Drew Of the local freight and other
mamhers of the crew, he went to try to ex-
tricate Engineer Taylor from his terrible
~nosition Taylor said to him., II will lose my
lob for this" and he asked Taylor II he mao
forgotten about making the siding for NO.
) Sc, and he replied that he had.
5 Murray johnson, the engineer on the local
3 freight. who saved himself by Jumping
testified that his train was due az the
{ Chautauqua switch at 6:19 and mat ne was
!, on time. When he rounded the curve cas-
. a, the siding he saw the headlight OF ar
Y engine. which at first he thought was ina
. of the train on the Milwaukee tracks, as NJ
did not know Of any train he was 70 NEE
r at that point. When he reached the uah
n gent track at the end Of the curve ne saw
n that the train was on the ROCK lsian'
tracl. hurt supposed, that 1t was making tn
Q siding as he knew he had the right of way
He slowed his train down In order to CIV
the other train time to make the switch an
q noticed that the train was not making TN
siding. but was coming toward him at
10 high rate Of speed. He put on the emery
encv" and "threw her over" and then toll
}; his fireman to jump. He Jumped from TN
X right side and Fireman Caldwell from In
left.
johnson further testified that he ASSISTED
in extricating Taylor from the wreck an
that the latter told him that he was
blame. He said Taylor told him that h
ID had received orders at Avoca to hurry I
Is Council Bluffs to get out of the way OF Nc
- 20, the fast passenger train. Johnson's tes
A. timony on the point Of his train being o
:. schedule time at the Chautauqua switch wa
~ deemed important, as 1t had been reporte
Of shortly after the wreck that the local freigf
al was running slightly ahead Of its time.
m q. w. TAYLOR, who was the first witness
Mt he examined, was the rear brakeman on tn
eastbound local freight. He said the trai
~ left the yards in Council Bluffs prompt
on time at 8 o'clock and that nearing II
"a Chautauaua switch he felt the train slacke
A. it's speed and the next moment he noticed
to shock and realized that 1t had strue
to something, but did not know what. He WI
60 on the top Of the train and ran back to II
n. caboose, where he found Conductor Ore
re living on the floor, having been thrown fro
lis his seat by the force Of the collision. +
told Drew that they had struck somethir
and Drew replied that he did not see no
of that could be, as everything was in and Il
RI. track clear. Taylor said he was a broth
'r- of the dead engineer.
Conductor Horace e. Drew OF the loo
freight testified hat No. SO, his train, "
due at the Chautauqua siding at 6:19 a
De- that he was right on time. He was In !
ifs caboose at the time OF the collision a
was thrown to the floor by the force. VIII
he attempted to get up he was thrown doN
again. When Brakeman Taylor came In
the caboose he told him that no other ira
err had a right to be there. He sent Tayl
OF back to flag against any train from t
rear. He also testified as to the conditi
Of the wreck.
Bert Reynolds, head brakeman on No.
said he was In the cab with Engineer Toh
son when he first saw the headlight Of
extra. He said to Johnson. 1--WE will ha
all we can do to STOP" and started back
900 set brakes. When the collision came he v
on top of a box car. which was thrown FRI
its trucks and he went over with it, /
escaped with a few bruises. When
crawled out from the wreckage he met CO
ductor Hanifan of the extra and with Z
gineer johnson they went to assist in &
ting Taylor out. Reynolds testified furtl
that Engineer Taylor told johnson that
wv had forgotten all about No. So. The with
said he thought No. 56 was going abb
500 eighteen or twenty miles per hour when
collision took place.
77s Inquests on the two fremen, John ST.
and John Caldwell. will not be necessary
The remains Of Engineer Taylor and Fl
man Stone we're taken to Valley Junct
and those OF fireman Caldwell to Stu
Wednesday morning.
Snap Shots all 60 At 10 cents each ct
Council Bluffs once of The Bee.