Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1902-12-31
JVRYS VERDICT IN
wANsTEAD CASE
c,uId Not Agree as to Responsible
Nv for Wrong Orders &
BETWEEN CARSON ANDKERR
.,ou,d Have nesn Averted
Ae'''' .,,.uy Had more Exper-
need operator. at TWO stations

wyoming, ont, Dec @'-'rne core
VIA .',nv which has been investigating
"s' ,reck at wanstead last FRIDAY
n 1l in which Is lives We're were , .Vs''
nr o in verdict shortly before MD
"O ~. ,or,ght The verdict is as foliows'
my lw. And that Arthur w. Ricketts,
..s luled in the collision at Hansteau
w ,ha evening of Friday, Dec. 2s, lSos'
~sat said collision was caused py
wrong orders being given No. at wat
lord. Responsibility for the Issuance
,y,onp orders we are not agreed up
:, az between operator Carson ana
n,snatcher Kerr. That after No. .
,aa len Watford by the issuance OF
,S,ong orders. we consider that the ac-
',asn1 could have been averted by the
. .,r AT wyoming or Kings Court
T,nction had the railway company had
mare experienced operators at these
,oIr,s zone being BOY OF l6), at each
~ which places, the dispatcher having
bad annie time to do 1t, and endeavored
a. get the opposing trains stopped
The principal feature OF inc testl-
mony today was the evidence OF james
Tyoyer, the night operator al Kings
Court Junction, where Dispatcher Kerr
snseayored TO stop the express train.
Trover who is q boy OF 10 years, stated
mai he was on duty for the first time
On the night of the accident, and that
his total previous experience as an
operator was for two nights at Strath-
row where he received only a total OF
four messages. He gave as reason
for not hearing Dispatcher Kerr calling
him for seven or eight minues. that
he was studying the time table and ala
not recognize the Office call, which he
had heard only once before. Troyers
extreme youth and apparent incompe-
fence made deep impression upon the
jury,
James Troyer, the night operator at
Kings Court Junction, said that the
first call he heard from London was 10
stop No. S, the express train, but II
had just gone by. He put up the
semaphore Immediately. Troyer said
he was 16 years old. He was In charge
at Kings Court for the first time on
the night OF the accident, Prior to
his appointments he passed an examln-
alton which lasted 20 minutes. He
was not familiar with the telegraph
call for Kings Court and was In the
office some time before he heard the
dispatcher calling him.
Carson, the Watford agent, was called
and reiterated the statements made
yesterday A number of copies OF or
ders were put on exhibition and were
admitted as evidence. All Of the cam
celed orders had been annulled in the
usual way by sending second order.
Carson testified yesterday that orders
had been frequently cancelled by the
dispatcher simply saying bust it,
Carson said that all papers and books
IN the Watforod office had been taken
possession Of by the assistant superin-
tendent, leaving him without means of
suDstantiatIng his claim In regard 10
THIS method Of canceling orders.
carson could not remember the exact
date on which he had previously re-
celyed a canceling order In the form OF
Dust IT. He said that for six
weeks prior to the night Of the acct
gent he had been alone. doing the work
previously done by two men.
George Hicks, Carson's assistant nj
Watford, told the Jury that he had
seen orders Cancelled by marking them
busted, but was not sure that such
oiuers as he had seen had been COM
pieled and marked 20. X"
other witnesses were examined. the
!uty addressed by the county crown
attorney and counsel for the Grand
iIuhk' and the coroner gave the case
10 The jury at o'clock.