New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-03-26
TABPERIEG WITH TRAINS.

The charge Of Vice-President Bryan Of the
marlborough that most Of the recent accidents
In the subway and on the elevated railroad
were due not TO the inexperience of new en-
lployes, but TO the tampering with air brakes
and other apparatus by miscreants supposedly
In sympathy with the defeated strikers, is one
(which should have the attention of the police.
If the PETERBOROUGH officials believe this TO be
the cause of their trouble they also should
Espare no expense in placing detectives in their
cars TO watch for these wreckers. 1t Is vastly
more important for the police TO run down these
scoundrels than to raid any number Of pool
lrooms or even stop the reckless automobile
tdrivers. The crimes, though directed against
the marlborough, are attacks of the most dan
Egerous kind upon the public, and no vigilance
soan be too great to prevent the attempts and
punish severely those who make them.
[ It seems incredible that any person should
ne scoundrel enough thus to endanger the
Hives Of innocent thousands. Unfortunately,
however, there is ample reason to accept Mr..
LBryan's view, at least in part. Two men were
farraigned in court on Friday for pulling the
sbeil rope OF q 2d-aFe. train, and from day to
day others have been arrested for similar ma
fHcious mischief. On the 6th-aye. line the other
might somebody cut a rubber pipe controlling
the air brakes, and this at once set the brakes
Infringing the train to sudden stop under con-
sditions peculiarly likely to produce a collision
We are ready to believe that most Of this mis-
chief is not the work of the late strikers. 1t
fdoes not seem possible, whatever their anger
against the Interborough company, that mo-
toruen, who know the tremendous danger
Of tampering with the apparatus and have
borne the responsibility for the lives of thou
sands, would attempt to wreck a train We
believe that the tampering is mostly the work
Of young rowdies, lawless fellows, who never
had responsibility, who love to make trouble
just for their own amusement, and who seize
upon the strike as a pretext for icentious
conduct. The sobered, defeated striker with
wife and child, is not the person for train
wrecking. That is the enterprise Of the vicious
young barbarian, whom, it is 10 be feared we
are training up in large numbers to frresponsi-
bility, with our lack Of parental authority our
schools which fail TO ct the average youth only
capable Of hand work for honest and efficient
industry. and general tone of contenpt for
law and authority.
But whoever it is who INDUCES in This SORT
or hoodlumism-to use mild term for what is
really an atroeious crime-he should be most
diligently watched for. A few weeks or even a
few days of extreme vigilance would surely
put an end TO the trouble. It needs only half
a dozen exemplary punishments and the I'M.
failing arrest of every offender TO carry con.
/ vicfdon TO the whole body Of hoodlums that
the game had best be aba ndoned. II the Inter.
borough officials have come TO the conclusion
that the operation of trains is endangered, as
! Mr. Bryan says, II may be expected that no
attempt TO tamper with the trains will occur
hereafter without being detected by vigilant
watchers. When ouch danger exists IT Is Just
]~s much the duty OF The company to guard