Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-01-23
TRAINMEN IN MEXICO
REGARDED AS CRIMINALS IN
CASE OF AN ACCIDENT.
Arrested and Thrown Into Dungeons
Left Without Hearing-Experi-
ence Of Americans.

"A movement has been started to interest
organizations Of railroad men. including tho
Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engineers, the
Brotherhood OF Locomotive Firemen. the
Order OF Railway Conductors and the
Brotherhood Of Railway Trainmen In efforts
to secure redress Of wrongs inflicted upon
railroad men in Mexico. The plan Of the
| trainmen contemplates bringing pressure to
bear on the United States government to
| induce the government Of Mexico to repeal
the old Spanish law under which the crews
OF railway trains that cause the death of a
Mexican are thrown into prison. 1t is also
Planned to engage lawyers to appear in
mexican courts to secure the speedy trial
and acQuttal Of trainmen who are left in
loathsome dungeons unable to get a hearing
Of their cases. A committee will be assign
ed to wait upon members of Congress and
| the State Department
The movement has been started by Harry
n. Adams. an engineer. who. while EN-
ployed on the San Louis Botosi railroad.
lost a leg by the wrecking of a train on a
mountain side. The track was slippery and
through the ignorance of the MeXicans en-
pioyed In the train crew the train ran away
ana jumped over precipice. Some of the
MeXlcans in the crew We're killed. Adams
with ms leg broken, was put into Jail with
out medical attention. Having no one to
take care OF him, while in a delirium, he
Went through the action of jumping from
10y SiiSihO AepedleOIy, Win the result that
when doctor was finally sent to treat him
II was necessary to amputate the leg
Adams. with the aid of some American
Iailroad men, was smuggled out of the
country nnally. He Is at present travelling
Island. NN
When the attention Of State Department
ofncials was called to the movement TO-DAY
they declared that the conditions were such
tnat the trainmen could make practically
no headway AS a matter of fact. the
Ssate department for many years has been
enoeaVor1ng to negotiate with the Mexican
government treaty which would insure
Americans In the employ of Mexican rail-
roads fair treatment and prevent their ar
i res. as persons responsible for railroad
oassador to Mexico, MIR. Powell Clayton
was directed by the department TO nego-
tlage treaty OF this character and he has
mace earnest efforts to do so, but without
success. The ambassadors task has been
OF a very delicate nature from the ia ct that
IN his negotiations it has been necessary for
MN to place the United States in the posi-
tlon OF endeavoring to regulate the laws of
another country from the fact that in order
to permit Of the treaty. the law under
which the trainmen are arrested must be
repealed. The Mexican officials show no
disposition to repeal this law and there
iore, very little progress has been made by
the ambassador. The law involved is an
OLD Spanish law, which localizes the respon-
sibil1ty for railroad wrecks and provides for
the arrest and punishment of railroad en-
Pioyes as criminals. The file rooms of the
State Department are filled with papers in
cases like that Of Mr.. Adams.
When the department has appealed to tha
Mexican government for redress the diplo-
matte representatives of that government
IN reply have presented the law in the ia CO
OF which, apparently, the department could
proceed no further. An official of the de-
partment who has charge of the negotia-
lions with Mexico said today that the idea
or the tratnmen to raise fund with which
to employ lawyers to defend the accused
men was an excellent one. as by these
means they would be assured of fair treat
ment in the courts.
The State Department has investigated
several cases like that of Adams" said
this official. and it has usually found that
the grievance Of the trainmen resulted
solely from the harsh provisions of the
law. Having established that fact the de-
partment could do nothing. There have
been few cases In which it has been alleged
that an American trainman has been dis
eliminated against in the Mexican courts
as the law seems to be enforced for the
Mexicans as Well as Americans The basis
Of this law is the hypothesis that the train
crew are the persons directly responsible
Tor the lives of passengers, and that when
q wreck occurs they should be punished
In the opinion Of the Mexicans 1t would be
absurd to place the responsibility for
wreck upon the president and other Off
Gals and directors of the road who were
perhaps at the time hundreds of miles
away: Although an entirely different view
Is taken In this country, it must be adj
mitted that the reasoning of the Mexicans
Is not without common sense, Investiga-
ton has shown that they are very well
SatlSned with their law; at any rate they
show no disposition to repeal it,