Evening journal., 1903-09-02
MILLIONAIRES
UNCOMFORTABLE
Gate Tender at Crossing
Called Attention to the
Slippery Tracks
ENGINEER ON THE WITNESS STAND
Testified That Snow lnterfered With
Running Of Engine and Trolley Cars
Were Stopped Too CLOSE to Rail-
road Tracks.

road Tracks.
Newark. N. j., Sept 2.-The trial
of the eleven officials of the North
Jersey Street Railway Company,
charged with manslaughter on the
ground of criminal negligence on their
part, which, according TO the conten
ton OF the state, was responsible for
the death of Ernestine Miller, one OF
the victims Of the Clifton avenue troll
ley horror on February 10, was re
sumed with the cross-examination of
Charles Kay, the letter carrier who
saw the accident while delivering let
ters. Former Governor George T.
Werts, Of counsel for the defense, re-
sumed his questions. going over the
ground covered in the direct exami
nation.
All OF the defendants listened
throughout the testimony with close
attention, and most Of them sat back
in their chairs and looked uncomfort-
able.
When Mr. Werts had finished with
Kay, Christopher Couldron, the gate
tender at the Clifton avenue crossing,
was called The witness estimated
that he raised and lowered the gates
about 200 times in II hours. Trolley
cars crossed frequently. he said some
times on five-minute headway and
sometimes on IS minutes.
Couldron's attention was drawn to
the snow on the tracks at the time Of
the accident. He said: Il saw the
cars slipping as they came down, and
called one of the conductors atten-
ton 10 it. That was about six min
utes to s o'clock The snow seemed
to be about an inch deep all over the
street. There had been a heavy snow.
storm and then a lighter one"
Prosecutor Riker asked why he had
spoken to the conductor. Because
the cars threatened TO go through the
gates" was the reply.
Oscar Barcliffe, the engineer Of the
Bernardsville express, was the las
witness at the morning session. Bar
cliffe testified that he saw the trolle,
car coming down the incline and real
lied from the actions Of the children
at the time that Il would not stop
He put on his emergency brakes wher
about a hundred feet of the crossing
He heard the crash and remembered
nothing more. Barcliffe testified thai
the snow interfered with the running
Of his engine. He also said that the
trolley motormen were in the habit
of stopping their cars so close to the
railroad tracks that it made the engi
neer's hair fairly stand on end.
Cross-examined. the witness admit
ted that he had brought suit for SIS,
600 against the North Jersey Trolley
Company, but denied that he was tes
tifying in order to aid him In that suit
Alexander P. Jacobus, a brush
maker testified that he stood about
so feet away from the crossing wher
the accident occurred. He saw th'
car loaded with children coming dowr
the incline from Orange street At the
same time he saw the railroad gatei
going down. He saw the car continue
toward the gates and then heard th'
signal bell ringing. The motormaI
was working at the brake and ap
peared to be unable to stop the car
The front wheels were locked anC
were sliding on the tracks. The ca
was going at a rate Of three or foui
miles an hour. He saw the car crasl
through the gates, and a momen
afterward the collision occurred. HI
thought the train was going 25 to 81
miles an hour.
William H. Bowerman, a high schoo
pupil, said he was standing in thu
car about two feet from the from
door. holding on to the strap. HI
thought the. mOtorman applied th'
brake about the middle OF the block
He did not remember whether the ca
came to a stop in the middle of tn
block or not. The car and platform
were crowded. He could see the INC
torman working the brake.