The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1903-09-02
STORY OF The
WRECK
Witnesses Testify As to How
the Clifton Avenue Ac-
cident Occurred.
A VICTIMS SISTER on THE STAND
Gateman's Account Both Fa-
vorable and Unfavorable to
the Defendants.
A VICTIMS SISTER ON THE STAND
Special to .arhe Jersey city News. ~

Special to 1.-THE Jersey City News'')
NEWARK, September 2, 19o3.-Much
testimony was given yesterday in the Es-
sex County Court of Oyer and Terminer
as to the cause of Ne awful trolley acci-
dent at Clifton avenue last February, in
which nine school children were killed.
The most important defendants ore:
John D. Crimmins.&A. j. cassatt,
Edward F. C. Young, DR.. Leslie D.
Ward, Z. B. Gaddis, David Young and
J. Roosevelt Stanley. Should the jury
bring in verdict of guilty of manslaugh-
ter each defendant would be liable to a
sentence of not more than ten years in
the State prison and a fine of 81 900.
Christopher Condron, the fagman at the
Clifton avenue crossing, testified that he
lowers and raises the safety gates 200
times day, often three times in five min
utes. On the morning of the accident
there was snow on the trolley tracks,
Condron testified.
The snow was dry and erumbly-like, I
had occasion to lock at my own tracks
and the trolley tracks. The trolley tracks
We're covered with this dry snow. Sew
eral cars had been over them when l
first noticed them. saw the cars slip
xaip.
one of the conductors attention to it.
That was about six minutes to eight"
'.Why did you call the conductors at
tention to the tracksY' he was asked.
''The cars didn't come down as good
as they ought to, and it needed salt and
sand on the tracks. l thought that
sooner or later car would go through
the eates..,
What were you doing just before the
accident p
Looking up and down. I left the gate
down a little earlier than usual A mo-
ment later | saw the car coming down.
The motorman was working hard at his
brake. l thought at first the car was
stopped at the erosswalk; then all at
once it went plumb right through the
gate. =
The engine was then very near Then
they struck. The front of the car was
torn off and the trucks slowed off the
rails. People were running all around,
some of them crippled. There was no
dead there, but there was some further
down the track"
The witness was cross-examined for
the defense by Mr.. Lindabury.
Condron said that he could not tell how
far the alarm bell could be heard from
the crossing. In answer to questions,
he described the practice ~of the conduc-
tor in--stopping the car at the crossing,
going ahead to see if the way was clear,
and, if it was, signalling to the car.
He had never known of departure
from this rule, he said.
Had you ever known of car break
ing through the gates beforeY' asked Mr..
Lindabury. 81
'sYes," replied Condor, "a car coming
from the High School broke through the
gate on the opposite side of the crossing
in December
Policemen Thorne, Stucky and Wolf
testified that they saw the trolley car
slowly slide down the hill to the cross
ing, break the gates and run against the
Bernardsville express on the Delaware,
Lackawanna and Western Railroad.
Prof George G. sonn. veteran teach
er in the High School, next testified.
Il noticed the trolley tracks, he said,
"as walked toward the scene of the ac-
cident. In some places the snow had
been blown away, but between Orange
street and the railroad tracks it swas-
packed hfrd on the rails.
Il mahe an examination Of the rails
k.t1 Ees Of sand. On the north side
sand could have been seen, but there
were no signs of it."
Principal Wayland q. stearns. Of the
High School, testified that he arrived at
the scene Of the accident soon after it oc-
CURED He Immediately made an examins
alton of tie trolley rails between the rail-
road and Orange street covering about
two-thirds of the distance, starting from.
the railroad. He looked for sand partic-
ularlyt but did not find any.
Theodore Cordcs, conductor Of the
Delaware, Lackawanna and Western
The way to regain your health after