The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1902-12-31
COrOnefs Jury Renders Verdict
on Canadian Disaster
HAD YOUTH FOR OPERATOR
Night Telegrapher at Kings Court
junction Is Only 16 Years of Age,
and Says 1t Was the Second
Night He Had Worked.

Wyoming, Ont, December 30.-The cor
oner's jury which has been investigating
the wreck at Wanstead last Friday night
in which twenty-eight lives were lost
brought in a verdict shortly before mid
night tonight. The verdict is as follows:
I'VE find that Arthur ". Ricketts, was
killed in the collision at Wanstead on the
evening of Friday, December 26, 1902;
that said collision was caused by wrong
orders being given No. at Watford. Re-
sponsibility for the issuance of wrong or
ders we are not agreed upon as be-
tween Operator Carson and Dispatcher
Kerr that after No. had left Watford
by the issuance of wrong orders, we con-
slider that the accident could have been
averted by the operator at Wyoming or
Kings Court Junction had the railroad
company had more experienced operators
at these points Zone being but boy OF
16), at each of which places the dis
patcher had ample time to do it and
could have endeavored to get the opposing
trains stopped"
Operator Mere Youth.
The principal feature of the testimony
today was the evidence of James Troyer,
the night operator at Kings Court juno
ton, where Dispatcher kerr endeavored
to stop the express train. Troyer, who is
a boy of 16 years, stated that he was on
duty for the first time on the night of the
accident, and that his total previous ex-
perience as an operator was for two
nights at Strathroy, where he received
only a total of four messages. He gave
as a reason for not hearing Dispatcher
Kerr calling him for seven or eight min
utes that he was studying the time table
and did not recognize the office call,
which he had heard only once before.
Troyers extreme youth and apparent in
competency made deep impression upon
the jury.
James Smith, a brakeman on the freight
- was heard today He said the semaphore
was not displayed. He saw the stop
signals given by the rear man and had
they been continued the train would
have been stopped. He saw the express
lights fifteen seconds before the crash.
Carson Reiterates Statement.
Carson, the Watford station agent, was
recalled and reiterated the statements
made yesterday A number of copies of
orders were put on exhibition and were
admitted as evidence. All of the can
celed orders had been annulled in the
usual way, by sending a second order
Carson testified yesterday that orders
had been frequently cancelled by the dis
patcher saying "bust it." Carson said
that all papers and books in the Watford
office had been taken possession of by
the assistant superintendent, leaving him
without means of substantiating his
claim in regard to this method of can
ceiling orders.
Carson said that for six weeks prior to
the night of the accident he had been do
ing the work previously done by two
men.
George Hick Carsons assistant, told
the jury that he had seen orders can
celed by marking them busted, but was
not sure that such orders as he had seen
had been completed and marked o. K.
The coroner gave the evidence to the
jury at o'clock.