The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-07-10

Injured.
1t Is now a practical certainty that
Sundays trolley wreck at Old Forge,
by which Motorman Westbrook lost
his life and at least n dozen others
were injured, resulted primarily from
the switch signals having been tamp-
cred with.
After as thorough an examination as
time and circumstances would permit,
General Manager Frank Silliman
adopted this theory of the cause OF
the accident and in the hope of ferret
ing out and bringing to justice the
guilty vandal, decided to offer a re-
ward of 5000 for information that
would lead to his detection. The offer
of the reward will be found in the ad-
vertising columns of this mornings
Tribune.
Residents of the neighborhood OF the
switch at the Midtown end of the
block, in which the accident occurred.
all tell of it being a not uncommon
practice of boys of that place to change
the signals after a car has passed, anl
the crews on that line say they have
often had to back up to one switch o.
the other on account of two cars being
brought into the same block by the
changing of the signals after they hal
set them.
OFTEN CHASED BOYS.
Mrs. Joseph Brown, whose home
faces the switch signal at Midtown,
says she has frequently chased boys
away who were evidently bent on turn
In Hnht tnt-
she says, not over nine or ten years
of age, attempting to turn the signal
lever by reaching up to II with stick.
There is a standing reward of $40 for
information that will lead to the ar
rest of any person tamperng with any
of the lights. The company will eX-
haust the forces of the law to make an
example of any one caught in this
devilish act.
The conduct of Motorman Newcombe,
of the incoming car, was the subject
of much discussion yesterday, and II
would appear from the later investi-
cations that his compliance with the
company's strict edict against discuss
ing accidents with outside parties, has
subjected him to some undeserved CEN
sure.
Whether or not he did all that was
possible to avert the collision, he alone
knows. In his statement, made to Cen
eral Manager Sillman, he says that
he reversed the power and put on the
brake as hard as it could be applied
before he jumped.
In this he is corroborated by Master
Mechanic Thomas Mullen. When he
and his men attempted to draw New
combe's car out of the wreckage they
found the brakes ON so tightly that 1t
could not be started with the power
lever at the highest notch. They at
tempted to let off the brake, but the
brake rod had been bent and would not
work, and to release it they found it
necessary to chisel away the pin which
fastened the brake-chain to the bottom
of the rod.
CORONER TO INVESTIGATE.
This matter, however, will be cleared
up, 1t is expected, by the coroner. He
set about the investigation yesterday
by empaneling a jury consisting of NJ.
Z. Sanders, NJ. A. Rafter, Thomas L.
Reynolds, d. C. Powell, James Leyshon
and Daniel Harris, who after viewing
the remains of the dead motorman ad-
journed to give the coroner time to
look up the witnesses.
Motorman Westbrooks body was
taken from the hospital yesterday
morning to Cusick's undertaking es-
tablishment, where it was prepared
for burial, and in the afternoon, It
was removed to his parents home in
Brooklyn, Susquehanna county. The
funeral is to take place tomorrow.
Unless present symptoms are mis-
interpreted by the attending physi-
clans, the list of casualties will not
be increased.
Mrs. Matte Lewis. whose condition
is the most serious among the injured,
will escape without permanent disabil-
ity, 1t is thought. Her physician, DR..
Adam Stegner can find no more SER
ious hurt than a fracture of the lower
end of the spine, a quarter-inch of
the lowermost vertebra being broken.
The spinal cord is not affected, as
was at first feared, and the fracture
is of such a nature that it will likely
heal without the necessity of a sur
gical operation. Mrs. Lewis is still at
the home of her friend, Mrs. Pascoe,
in Rendham.
Price street and Van Buren avenue,
who was reported late Sunday night
by DR.. Reynolds to be in 81 serious
condition, is now thought to be out
of danger of death. Unless the inter-
nal injuries develop TO pe more serious
than yesterdays symptoms indicated,
she will recover,
IN A NERVOUS STATE.
Mrs. James Williams, of 1882 WASH
burn street who suffered a violent
shaking up and who tainted away af-
ter being assisted to Lally's drug
store, continues in a highly wrought
nervous state and several times yes
terday had spells of fainting. The
others are all reported to be doing
WELL
The list of slightly injured has been
increased by four. John Lewis, hus-
band of the woman whose spine was
injured, found his ankle badly swollen
yesterday morning, and an eXamina-
tion showed that it has been sprained.
His infants daughter who was being
carried in it's mothers arms also sus-
tanned injury. To save the child, the
mother, in her excitement, showed It
out of the car, and the little ones
face was badly cut on both sides.
James Williams, husband of one of the
injured women, also complains of