The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-20

(Signed) M. i. Sanders. d. A.
Powell, Thomas Leyshon, NJ. a. Rafter,
Thomas Reynolds, 7. owen Charles"
The above verdict was reached about
1915 o'clock last night by the Jurors
impanelled by Coroner j. j. Roberts
to inquire into the causes of the death
of Stacy Westbrook, the motorman of
the Scranton Railway company who
was killed July s in the collision be-
tween two street car near Rendham
The verdict was only reached after
two nights were spent in hearing evil
dence and the Jurors had gone to the
scene of the accident.
TESTIMONY LAST NIGHT.
Last nights hearing was to be given
at $50 o'clock, Attorney G. 7. O'Malley
appearing for the Scranton Railway
| company and Attorney j. G. Vaughan
for Mrs. Judge, one of the parties in
jured in the collision. f. G. Hartman,
| conductor of the Scranton bound car,
was the first witness called. His evil
dence was most important. On being
| asked the condition of the last signal
| he passed, he responded:
THE lights were fixed in a manner
coming, although 1 was expecting one
previous to seeing the signals. on sew
| eral occasions the lights have been
found tampered with. The boys always
do it of their own accord. and in no
instance do conductors ask them to
| change the lights for them when pass
| ing.
He declared that when he first saw
| .t.g..
| yards away. My motorman," he re-
piled, in answer to a question, Jumped
off the car before the collision, but
| remained on until it struck. AS to the
rate of the cars, neither Of them were
| going at any great speed, but both very
moderately"
William G. Mcmillan, conductor If
| the car coming from Scranton, was the
| next man put on the stand. In an
| swering questions asked regarding
| Westbrook, he said:
"The Saturday before the collision
was my first time over that route with
| Westbrook. He was a good motorman
| as good as any on the road.
THE last switch I got out at was at
| Rendham. The lights there indicated
| that I had a clear road before me-
| There were about forty passengers on
my car. and as we neared the Ncbo
cut. there is a large rock which par
| TALLY shuts off the view.
Just before the collision took place
! as soon as we caught sight of the an
! preaching car, WestbrOok put on the
! brakes, but was unable to stop the car.
| When we were about a cars length
from the other car, I jumped off, but
| Westbrook remained. Our car was
| going very slow then, and in an in
stant more would have stopped. The
| other car was coming a little faster.
but not much. When I jumped off I
| did not fall to the ground but landed
on my feet. In my opinion, no motor
man could do more than he did to
avert the accident.
FORCE WAS NOT GREAT.
ut would have been the proper thing
to reverse our car, but our mOtorman
was unable to do 1t, on account of the
brakes being so tight. The cars did
not collide with any great force neither
being very much damaged"
Charles Newcomb, motorman on the
Duryea- bound car, was the next wit
ness called, and testified that in sew
/ vial INSTANCES ne lldu louHu the lSllS
changed, and had often heard people
! saying that there would be accidents
on account of the tampering with the
signals. He had never given any nOti-
tication of it, as it was generally
known among the men on the road.
The question was asked him: "In
coming down the grade, do you not
generally put the speed of the car up
to carry you up the Nebo hill?"
Yes" he answered, "when the lights
| indicate clear road"
Master Mechanic Thomas Mullen
was then called and testified to having
examined the two cars after the coll
lision He declared that neither car
was very much damaged, and No. 80,
the north bound car was resting on
No. s, the south bound. The steering
machinery Of No. was very much
Damaged, It being necessary to cut
the brake chains 10 clear away the
gear, showing that the brakes were at
their tightest
John Coombe sr., of Taylor, one OF
the passengers in the Duryea bound
car, then took the stand.
His evidence was contradictory to the
bulk of the other testimony in several
points and was about as follows: II
got into the car at about Taylor and
when l saw the other car coming down
on us / jumped off Immediately. The
car approaching us was coming at a
terrific rate, fully eight or ten miles
am hour"
Attorney O'Malley here asked the
witness; "Were sparks flying from the
wheels of the car approaching?" his
object being to prove that an attempt
was being made to reverse the car.
Master Mechanic Mullen having testi-
fled that in cases where a car is being
reversed sporks fly from the wheels.
The witness replied in the Affirmative,
John Coombe, jr., If Taylor, another
passenger in the Duryea bound car,
then gave testimony of practically the
same nature as that given by his
father, saying that he had jumped
from The car, not on account of the
speed OF the car on which he was,
but because of the terrible rate at