Daily Kennebec journal., 1905-11-30
THE LINCOLN WRECK.
Coroner's Inquest on the Recent Rail
road Wreck at Lincoln, Mass.

Concord, Mass, Nov. 29.-With a
large number of persons summoned as
witnesses, arrangements We're complete,
today, for the official inquest by the
court into the railroad accident near
Lincoln, last Sunday, on the Fitchburg
division of the Boston 4 Maine rail-
road when II persons were killed and
about score OF others injured The
accident happened within the jurisdic
ton of the Concord District court and it
was here that the proceedings opened
in the courthouse with Judge Keyes
presiding. The witnesses for the most
part had been marshaled by State
Detectives Rnoades and Whitney who
have been collecting the evidence as to
what happened on the night of the
disaster.
1t was announced that the hearing
would be private. Among the witnesses
who appeared at the courthouse to
testify was Horace w. Lyons. the en-
gineer of the pilot locomotive on the
Montreal express, the train which
struck the rear end of the Marlboro To-
cal. Engineer Lyons arrived at the
courthouse accompanied by E. a.
Rich, general solicitor of the Boston &
Maine Railroad. The engineer appear
ed dazed and unconscious of what was
going on about him. The other Witness
es present were chiefly officials and en-
ployes of the Boston e Maine system.
They included A. S. Cheever. Superin-
tendent: Charles f. Lee. assistant gem
eral manager of the Boston & Maine;
L. E. Todd. master mechanic; Paul
ct OF fnr hn tcJo
division: Charles f. Perritte, engineer
of the Marlboro local; r. w. Dockcn-
dorff, baggage master of the local; w.
f. Jones, conductor for the local: J. +.
Smith, second conductor, and f.. +.
Conrad, fireman of the Marlboro
train.
Dist. Atty. Geo. A. Sanderson of Mid
dleseX county, examined the various wit
nesscs. The district attorneys decision
as to whether the case would be submit
ted to the grand jury would be founded
upon the evidence as adduced at the in
quest.
Among the first witnesses to leave the
court room was F. w. Wade. the engineer
OF the second locomotive of the express
train. Engineer Wade testified at the in
quest that the air power running through
the train WIS not connected with his en-
Sine and that he was able to do moth
ing to stop the train except to shut off
the power on his own locomotive. He
stated that when the express train had
passed the green light at the Lincoln sta
tion he told his fireman that if they We're
going by the signals like that they would
have to drag him along" Thereupon h"
closed the throttle Of his locomotive and
the engine became as one of the coaches
of the train drawn by the pilot locomo
tive.
After he had left the inquest ROOM
Wade said he believed he had been exon
| Grated of all blame in the inquest.
Among the additional witnesses who
| had been summoned and who appeared
| about the court house were the follow
| ing:
f. A. Boardman assistant conductor Of
| the express train; W. S. Fletcher, chief
| conductor; j. i. Lane and Alexander
Thompson. brakemcn on the express
! train. and J. w. Rowe, bagga gema stcr
| Of the express.
The inquest was concluded 1T 2 o'clock.
| The testimony offered bv Engineer Lyons
was kept secret and tho engineer him
| self refused to discuss his testimony after
| he had left the court room. None of the
| other witnesses was familiar with the
| testimony of the engineer. in as much rs;
| only one person was called into the in
| quest room at the time The crew Of tn.
| local train had been called to tho witncs ;
| stand. except the baggagemaSter
At the conclusion of the proceedings,
Engineer Lyons was brought before jus
| tice Keyes and charged with mansaugh-
| ter. He pleaded not guilty Probable
| cause was found and he was held for the
| action of the MiddleseX grand jury which
| will meet in Cambridge on the first Mon
day in December. Bail was fixed mt S1O-
| 600. and in default of this Lyons was com
mittCd to Jail at East Cambridge.