The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-18
SCHEDULE
Was Unheard Of On
Suburban.
THE TOWN REPORT
Has Sharp Criticism for
Railway Officials.

The public sentiment aroused over
the terrible accident Oh the Worcester
and Suburban road in December has
by no means subsidized, and the town
OF Leicester with a great amount of
damaging evidence in hand, will begin
legal action against the Worcester and
Suburban Company before long.
The annual report of the se.ectmen
OF the town contains an exhaustive re-
view of the terrible tragedy in which
the officers of the road are roundly
scored FOR laXity in management. The
report also asserts that great difficulty
was experienced by the town officials
IN getting aid from the state police in
the conduct of their Investigation. The
road officials are severely scored for
the manner in which the running time
OF the cars from day to day has been
posted, and a fac-simile Of the schedule
of January 10 is given.
or the road officials, Messrs. Robin
son, Winslow and Whittemcre are
eXonerated from all blame attaching
TO the terrible tragedy, and in the opin-
ion of the selectmen, ex-President Wat
son should not be Induly criticised.
Inc report contains an effectual check
10 the remonstrance raised by some in
leicester against the investigation
rms is in the shape of statement that
chairman A. E. Smith has personally
borne all of the expense attaching to
1t, amounting to over $120.
AS far as actual developments in the
town. case go, it is hardly probable
that any decisive steps will be taken
by the town for several weeks tc come,
put the determination of the town Of
ilcials to push the Ease, is if anything
more strong than ever before.
The portion Of the report relating to
the accident, is as follows:
On Wednesday, Dec. q, 1898, there
occurred on the Worcester and Sub
urban street railway most terrible
COLLISION, in which John S. Kerrigan. an
OLD and respected resident of Cherry
Valley, was killed, and Walter II. HoI-
brook, a most promising young man of
Leicester Centre, died from his injuries
at the city hospital in Worcester, af-
ter few hours of agony. Many We're
manned, the worst case being that of
Mrs. Helen Pfaffman, whose foot was
Eamputated and who is now at the city
hospital in precarious condition.
AS head on collisions on this road
were becoming very frequent (there
having been six within few years.
the selectmen deemed it their duty to
cause full and impartial Investigation
10 be made that would If possible fix
the responsibility where it belonged.
All the parties who were thought to
be implicated were personal friends of
the members of this board with two
exceptions) but friendship at such a
| time as this should screen no man
from the responsibility for his acts or
neglect. Mr.. Bell of our board was ex-
cused from participating in the in
| VeStigattOn at his reoueSt
In a long series of years past the
chairman of this board has investigated
many criminal cases and never until
this time has he ever had any difficulty
! in securing assistance from the state
and county officers without limit; but
In this case the officers, it seemed to us,
were very Indifferent and in two or
three cases refused to render any as
sistance in what seemed to US a proper
manner to fix the responsibility. This
| board was impressed with the idea
that the officers did not give this mat
ter attention in a proper manner they
should have done, to have got TO the
bottom of this unfortunate affair.
The officers of the road held an in
vestigation, the result of which they
in no way communicated to the officers
| of the town, and as far as we know no
report of the prosecuting officers of the
result of the investigation.
| After this investigation two arrests
were made and what seemed to us an
| improper proceeding at the time, was
| that one Of the officers of the road was
actively engaged in bringing the wit
nesses before the court, to the extent at
least of notifying by telephone the Off
GERS of Spencer as to what course to
pursue in making the arrests.
| This board of course does not assume
| to fix the responsibility for this ac-
cident upon any person on persons, but
what we do say is that the most thor
ough, complete and effective examina-
details of this matter, so as to fix the
responsibility, let it fall where it may,
upon the parties responsible for this
sad affair.
Upon application to the state Off
GERS for assistance in this inVestiga-
ton which we have carried on, in
stead of taking hold of the matter
| themselves, we were advised to employ
officers whom they recommended as
honest, and we had the satisfaction of
informing the state officers that the
man they had recommended had al
ready been seen, and the officer at that
, interview had informed US that he was
employed ION the other side" What this
means we do not undertake to explain,
but it seemed peculiar statement for
an officer to make who was recommend
ed to us by one Of the state officers. This
is mentioned to show how hard "the
other side" worked in order that some
of the parties at least might not be
subjected to too close an investigation
as to their connection with this affair.
Laboring under these disadvantages
and having hired private assistance,