Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1901-07-18
engineer DAY BLAAED-fvi
THE PADEES VALLEY wreck.
GoHoNERs JURY DECIDES THAT
his OVERSIGHT WAS THE
CAUSE OF IT.
ALL OTHERS ExoNERATED.
TWO WITNESSES SWEAR DAY ADJ
MiTIED TO ms FATAL Err
ron TO THEM.
snecia, to the Register.


Special to the Register.
.SISTERSVILLE, w. Va, July IT,
Tho coronor's jury empannclled Monday
night at the wreck of the OHIO Valley
express at paden's Valley for the pur-
pose of inuuiring into the cause OF tho
wreck and the death of Engineer Al.
Courtrite and Fireman VIM. Boothby,
met In the city building at eleven
O'Clock this morning. The jury was
composed of Lynn KincaId, foreman;
c. II. Baker. II. NJ. clendenning. v. II.
Dye, Geo. E. Daniels and c. II. Kerr.
William Murray. conductor OF the
fast express; s. w. Powers. telegraph
operator at New Martinsvile: Frank
w. Barton. section foreman. of Paden's
Valley: &. G. Antrom. farmer at Pad
ems Valley, and several other Witnessed
were examined.
The evidence adduccd showed con-
clusively that Engineer Day was 10
blame for the accident, and the Jury
rendered a verdict to that effect. Be-
low win be found a synopsis OF tho tes-
timony taken and the verdict Of the
jury:
CONDUCTOR MURRAY.
William M. Murray. of Wheeling,
conductor In charge of tho express,
got his orders to run the train through
on schedule time to Wheeling. He got
no orders after he left Parkersburg. He
registered the train out from Sisters
Vile on time-at els; we were about
minute late. lie had started to 20
over into the baggage car, and about
10 feet from the end Of the chair car,
they crushed together. He rushed
through the train and to the front end,
crossed over Through the wreekagc, and
found Englneer Day, and Boothby. tho
fireman, laying alongside Of him. We
gathered them up and took them up
on the banls. Fireman Hnothby WA
too far gone to say anything.
down over him and asked him II
anything to say; he could not MA
any answer; he was too far gone. from
the time we found him. he lived about
six or eight minutes. | returned to En-
gineer DAY, for fear he might die, to
get the information how he came to
cause the colllsion-how he came to be
on the track on my trains time--and
| asked him that question, and his re-
pIy was that his engine was foaming
and he overlooked the type on the time
table.
asked Engineer Day how he came Il
do this: that U.s. cause this accident, and
his reply was: II am to blame for II;
by engine was foaming and | oveflook-
ed the type Of train 16's time on my
time card"
THE TELEGRAPH OPERATOR.
A. S. Powers, of New Martinsvllla
telegraph operator for the Ohio River
Railroad Company, was on duty In the
afternoon. Day came to the ofilcss-sstl12s
dow for orders for the running OF nh
engine south. An order came from the
dispatcher's office at Parkersburg fof
Day to run extra from New Martins.
Vile to Parkersburg shops. Day yos
that order and receipted for II In the
usual. way. Under that order, 1t was
Days duty to take his engine 70 PAR
kersburg and to keep out OF the way ana
off from the track. on the time Oh al
scheduled trains. Day got his order az
sos. and could not have left New Mar
tfnsyille before 6:f1S 1T was his duty
N have remained IA/oew Martinsville
or at the Short Line junction, until
after train 16 had passed north. knew
that he left New Martinsyille, but sup
nosed he would take the side track az
the Short Lime junction. Under his OF
ders. being bound by the rules to ciear
the track ten minutes ahead OF TO- ne
sbould have remained at the Short Llns
junction for train Is to pass him at thas
point. u
w u Boston. of Paden's Valley, W.
va. was near the station at Padens
Valley and saw engine 101 pass soaln'
he was running at pretty good speeu'
7 heard the noise of the collision Ia
very short time after.
DAYS CONFESSION.
r. c. Ankrom resided at Paden's va'.
lev. 81 was a short distance south OF
the station at Paden's Valley when 'he
collision occurred. l had conVefsa-
ton with Engineer Day after ne was
taken to my house on the evening q
July Is, 1901, and he told me that there
! was a greasy spot or blurr on his time
card. so that he thought that the slsia
1ss time at sstersville was 6:2S, ana
thought he had time TO make sisters
Vile. | heard him say at my mousse
that he was to blame for the aeclden'.
that it was his fault-that ne sncu.a
have taken the siding at Sardis.
TIE VERDICT