The Montgomery advertiser., 1902-01-10
IS SBEINGlfNyESTIGlfED'
DISTRICT ATTORNEY INoUIR-
 ING INTO WRECK.
New Rochelle's Mayor Ordered Flag on City Hall Placed at Half
 Mast During Funerals of the Victims.

fsNew York, Jan. 9.--Thomas P. Mur-
 phy of New Rochelle. who was badly hurt internally in yesterdays tunnel wreck in
 this city. passed quiet night in Bellevue hospital His left leg, which was badly
 crushed, will probably be amputated to- day. Albert wadley, a florist, of this city
 with homo in New Rochelle, who had both legs broken and who suffered in-
 ternal injuries was improving today. At the Grand Central station 1t was said today. as the district attorney had commenced an investigation tdsdetermine the cause and responsibility for the wreck, the railroad officials had definitely postponed their investigation and would present all the facts in their possession to the county prosecutors
 r. Another investigation will probably be
 made by President Cantor of the bur ough of Manhattan. MT. Cantor said today: { q will confer with the corporation counsel regarding my authority over tunnels exclusively used by railroads. am not fully satisfied as to my power in this matter. As there are investiga- tions being made by the district attorney,
 the coroners and the State Railroad Com mission, I thought it best to find out my authority before attempted an investi- 1 gation of my own. My opinion is that if electricity had been used by the railroad, the accident would not have happened.
 T visited the scene of the wreck at 9:3o last night. I was passing through | the tunnel. The volumes of smoke from l the locomotives filled the tunnel so that Tit was impossible to discern the lights ., President Cantor looked up the charter | regarding the powers of the board of aldermen in the matter and after read
 Ling the sections said he thought thert, was no doubt that the board had full l.power to regulate the speed of trains | within the city limits.
 F Attorney Jerome said he had investi- | gated as thoroughly as possible and he I would confer with Coroner Sholer to | that end. -.4 T
 Tt is possible, said Jerome, that the l enginer only was at fault. It Is also possible that the railroad company did not provide the engineer with the devices known to tho knowledge of men in rail. road affairs. If there was a duty im- posed upon any person did that person do it?, If he did not. no matter who he
 Is. he shall be punished" In New Rochelle, where all but ono of | the dead lived, business was almost en- tirely, suspended today. Of those hurt, twenty-nine lived in New Rochelle and 1 numbers of their relatives spent the night in New York near the hospitals. Today several of the bodies of the dead were taken to New ]. Rochelle. The town was in. mourning and many persons who had no relatives in the wreck made visits to those who had suffered loss and onered sympathy or assistance.
 The date for the inquest has not been fixed. but it probably will be begun some day next week. The district atorney,s q inquiry was held behind closed doors.
 Mir. Jerome presided
 John Wischow, the engineer of the White Plains local. which ran into the South .Norwaik train, was said to be
 in state of almost complete nervous collapse in prison today. He refused to sec anyone.
 At New Rochelle the mayor ordered the | flag on the city hall to be placed at half | mast until after the funerals of thoso killed in the collision. A public meeting has been called there to take stems to investigate the accident
 The district atorney's investigation was | adjourned at o'clock for lunch. Mir. Jerome, Assistant District Attorney Gavin and State Railroad .Commisioncr Baker had conference over. the cyi- dence taken Five witnesses were cx-
 amined during the forenoon session. They ] were Division Superintendent Franklin, Brakeman Barnum, Engineer Doherty. Fireman Sweeney of the Norwalk train.
 and Fireman Fyler. of the White Plains
 local. They all refused to discuss what
 had transpired behind closed doors. The inquest will be begun a week from today
 if the district attorney finishes with the
 witnesses by that time.