The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-04-14
RAILROAD NEWS.
Censure for Northwestern by
COrOner's Jury.
Held Responsible for Killing
and Wounding Of Indians.
CHARGEDWITH LAXITY
Claimed That Train Dispatch
ing Methods Are Insufficient.
Indian Chief Gives Testimony
Under Protest.
CHARGEDWITH LAXITY

Chicago April 14.-Blame for the
death of three Indians in the wreck at
haywood last Thursday was put upon
the Northwestern railroad by the coro-
ner's jury which completed an inquest
over the bodies of the victims yester-
day.
A verdict was returned censuring the
railroad company for laxity in its train
dispatching service and for allowing
its trains to run at a high rate OF
speed on foggy days. The verdict fol-
lows;
I'VE, the jury, find that the deceased
came to their death by being crushed
in a wreck on the Northwestern rail-
road about one mile west of Melrose
Park. We find, further, that the wreck
was caused by an insufficiency of train
dispatching service, which permitted
the fast mail to approach and run into
the passenger train, NO. 3. we, Ihe
Jury, recommend that the persons re
sponsible for this calamity be censuF-
ed and that steps be taken by the pro-
per authorities to regulate the rail-
road so that similar accidents may
be avoided.
we recommend further that the
speed of trains be limited on foggy
days"
In the verdict no blame was attach
THAT there We're only two dispatches
given the trains.
One was to the passenger train to
precede the mail train into Chicago
The other was for the mail train 10
run 30 minutes late into Chicago. While
both trains were late on account of
the dense fog, no other dispatches
were received directing their move
ments. 1t was for this alleged negli-
Eence that the jury censured the com
pany.
John Reid, the engineer of the fast
mail train, testified that he had left
Clinton, Iowa, 40 minutes behind time
with orders to make it up. When he
reached DeKalb the train was still
behind time. After he left DeKalb a
heavy fog set in and it was almost
impossible to see the signals. He saw
several signals to stop between De
Kalb and Rochelle and stopped fer
them.
After he had left Rochelle, he aver
red, he was given orders to reach Chi
cagO thirty minutes late. Then he
ran his engine at the regular speed
Il did not see any signal at May
wood" he said. 1.-THE only notice
given me that there was danger ahead
was the explosion of a torpedo. The
distance between the trains was short,
but l applied the brakes and when my
engine ran into the train we were not
going more than twelve or fifteen
miles an hour"
considerable Tune was consumed IN
coaxing the Indians to testify. White
Eyes. Interpreter. said Chief High
Bear did not want to testify and his
secretary. who was in the hospital.
was unable to appear. Finally he
took the witness stand and told the
story of the wreck.
I'VE we're all sitting in the rear car
singing and talking he said. II was
on the north side Of the train in a
rear seat. A man came into the car,
pulled the rope three times, but 1t
broke by Jerking it too hard; then the
train stopped.
After the man left the car and
went into the car ahead of ours the
crash came. All of my people began
to cry for help and the side of my car
fell out. rolling most of US to the
ground unhurt."
Arthur B. Farwell, secretary of the
Hyde Park Protection association, said
he had seen the mail train go past his
home at Elmhurst early on the morn
ing of the wreck at an unusually high
rate of speed. After the train had
passed" he said, II remarked that It
looked unsafe for a train to go so fast
on such a foggy morning"