The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-18

Lights Is Quite Conclusively
Proven-Will Visit Scene.
who are you acting as lawyer for,
anyway, the company or county? Do
you want to bulldoze me just because
you have me here singlehanded? 1
withdraw from the stand" This Par
THAN shot was delivered by Patrick
Brady, first of the witnesses sum-
moned by Coroner j. ]. Roberts in the
inquest last night in the case of Motor
man Westbrook, who was killed in the
collision of two cars at Rendham on
the Scranton Street Railway company's
Duryea line, July s. The witness de-
livered the words in loud, animated
voice to Coroner Roberts, and then
started to leave the stand. This wa.
the auspicious opening of the case, and
until IL o'clock the jurors were forced
to listen to a mass of confused evil
dence, regarding the collision, adj
journing at last to have another sit
ting.
At the suggestion Of Attorney C. 2.
O'Malley, who appeared in the inter-
ests of the company, the jurors will be
given a ride this afternoon to the scene
of the catastrophe on two cars similar
to those in the wreck.
A strong effort is being made by the
company to prove that the accident
was in no way due to any defects in
the construction of the road, or any
carelessness on the part of the crew of
either car. but that 1t was the direct
result of a misunderstanding arising
on account of the signals having been
changed by mischievous boys living in
the neighborhood.
SIGNALS ARE CHANGED.
Several witnesses testified that boys
in the neighborhood often interfere
with and change the signals, and for
that reason they consider traffic on tho
road dangerous. Mrs. John owens, of
Old Forge, testified that she lives near
a signal box, and has often seen boys
interfering with the signals. They con-
gregate in a field nearby and play ball,
and on several occasions she has seen
them either pulling down the signals
with sticks, or mounting on each
others shoulders to change them.
Whenever she saw the boys interfer-
ing with the lights, she called to them
to leave the signals alone. on no oc-
casion had she heard a conductor re-
questing any one standing near a box
to change the signals for him.
Patrick Brady, the first witness put
on the stand testified that he was in
the car coming from Duryea to Scran-
ton. There were about ten passengers
on the car. At Rendham the two cars
collided as they met after descending
the two grades. He was unable to
say whether the car was under rea-
sonable control, saying that he was
not conversant enough with the sub
ject and could not give any decided
opinion. Both men, however, he
though did their best to avert the col
lision.
Mr.. Brady was rather an uncomfort-
able kind of a witness and both Coro-
ner Roberts and the jurymen were un-
able to get much information from
him. Attorney O'Malley opened fire
with a few queries as to whether or
not he remembered the conductor hav-
ing left the car to change the signals,
ETC., and then asked him How about
the speed"
TILT WITH WITNESS.
81 object" interposed the coroner,
forcibly pointing his finger fiercely at
the witness and continued: This
man knows nothing about the speed.
He has testified already to that eff
feet"
After considerable debate, however,
the witness was allowed to answer and
replied
"To the best of my belief there was
fuller speed at the time of the collision
than at any time during the ride, each
man thinking he had clear road be-
fore him. The rate at which we were
going / should judge to be about twen-
ty miles an hour"
A few tart words here passed be-
tween Coroner Roberts and the wit
ness, which resulted in the volcanic
outburst quoted above by Mr.. Brady.
William Lamoreux, another passen-
ger on the Scranton bound car testi-
fled that while on the car he saw the
motorman tightening the brakes and
making a strenuous effort to stop the
car. Mrs. Foley, of Rendham, who
was walking nearby at the time of the
collision gave evidence to the same
effect. Rev. j. L. Race, pastor of the
ham, was another witness called. He
told how he had been standing in front
of his parsonage when he heard the
cars approaching. II saw them COM
ing near each other" said he, but I
thought they would merely come close
to each other on the track and then
stop, as / had often before seen them
do. On several occasions the cars have
met and would halt awhile, the two
motormen disputing the right of way,
at which times / acted as peace-mak-
er. The two cars We're approaching
each other slowly and / had no idea
that any accident would result. At
that they came together.
NO PREVIOUS INJURY. N
On cross-examination he reiterated
the assertion that the cars had come
| together on previous occasions at the
point in question, without any injury,
and that the dire results of the COLI.
sion of July s. in his opinion were due
to a changing of the signals.
The Scranton bound car, he declared
was a stronger built car than the ore
| from Scranton, and after the collision
1t was found resting on the others
platform. on being further questioned
| he declared that he saw nothing Ia
make him believe that either brakeman
had neglected his duty.
Vincent and Nicola Scandolie, who
were riding on the car from Duryea
then testified, giving their residence
through an interpreter. Vincent said
that the motorman on his car jumped
off and was followed by most of the
passengers just before the cars struck
Nicola gave testimony TO the same ef-