New-York tribune., 1902-01-25
THE CLOSE OF THE INQUEST.
DISTRICT ATTORNEY JEROME SHOWS
UP NEWMAN ON RESPONSIBILITY IN
CENTRAL MANAGEMENT.

The coroner's inquest to fix responsibility for
the Park-ave tunnel disaster of January ended
yesterday with verdict which practically ex-
oherated John NJ. Wisker. the engineer who ran
the Harlem train past danger signals and placed
responsibility for the death OF seventeen pas
sensers in the New Haven train upon unnamed
New-York Central officials, as told in the fore
going The verdict was announced at 5:35 D. m
In formal language the verdict declared at the
outset that William Legs. one of the victims of
the disaster came to his death by fracture of
the skull on January s. when he was n passenger
In the rear car of the New-Haven train in the
tunnel, because the locomotive of the Harlem
train controlled by Wisker into and partly
demolished the car. The verdict declared that
the collision was due to the failure of Wisker to
stop his locomotive at the danger signal at
Fifty-ninth-st.. which was set properly and in
dicated that the New Haven train was in the
block.
Then followed the passages quoted in full
After the verdict was read the members of the
jury, answering to their names. all declared that
they agreed TO ii. Coroner Scholer thanked the
Jurors and discharged them. The coroner then
dlscharged Wisker and E. c. Fyler. Wiskers
fireman at the time of the accident. Both had
been held in bail, Wislcer in $4,000 and Fyler
In $4,000. to await the result of the inquest.
Fyler was present when the verdict was an
iOuHCeu, anu the coroner discharged him first.
Wisker had gone to his home. accompanied by
his wife, soon after the jury retired to agree
upon a verdict. Frank Moss, his counsel, reply
ing to a question by Coroner Scholer, said he
could not produce Wisker last night but that ne
would produce him in the morning, If he was
wanted.
But on this verdict" Mr.. Moss continued, "I
move that his bail be discharged"
That is just what intended to do" replied
the coroner. "Whisker is discharged"
Mr. Moss was in happy frame of mind. TT
was righteous verdict" all that he would
say by the way of comment
Coroner Scholer was asked whether he con-
templated the arrest of any official of the New
York Central He said: Under the verdict
rendered. can take no such action 1t is
up to the District Attorney to take such action
as he may think proper. 1t was a very intelli-
gent jury and a good verdict"
District Attorney Jerome had left the Criminal
Courts Building when the verdict was rendered
REPORTS DESTROYED
When the coroners inquest was resumed yes
terday morning Joseph II. Franklin the New
York CentraPs superintendent of terminal was
recalled to the witness stand and asked about
reports of engineers about running past signals
in the tunnel previous to 1901. He had been
asked to bring such reports to the inquest, but
he said they had been destroyed. District At
torney Jerome spoke Of the presentment made
by the grand jury after the tunnel accident In
1891 that the signal system in the tunnel was
inadequate, and asked:
And still you destroyed the records which
could show whether the changes made subse-
quent to the presentment had remedied the
evil?"
C. C. Paudng, of the NewYork Central's law
department objected to a question that might
tend to put such construction upon the fact
that reports of engineers had been destroyed.
Mr. Jerome said:
'I want to show that these records de-
stroyed in order to conceal whether the sig
nal system was deficient as the old one. And
Continued third page.