New-York tribune., 1906-12-01
FIX BLAME FOR WRECK
OPERATOR THE CULPRIT.
Southern Rail5cdy DetectfUes Search
for Missing Man.

Iynchburg, Va, Nov. 30-The cause OF the
~-cck near Lawyers Depot, ten miles south OF
;iss city, yesterday morning. in which the presi-
deat of the Southern Railway, Samuel Spencer
and members OF his party OF well known New
York and Baltimore men lost their lives is laid
absolutely at the door OF c. D. Mattoax, the
operator who IN charge of the block tele-
graph station at Rangoon Mattoax, who dis
appeared after being relieved, less than an hour
afteS the accident, has not been found despite
the fact that railway detectives have secured
the country around the wreck and about his
home at Sandy Level, IN Pittsylvania County.
forty miles from the scene of the accident, on
small branch line Of the Southern.
An official OF the Southern Railway late this
afternoon said that the company was desirous
Of apprehending Mattoax to obtain statement
from him that might throw light the
causes that led him to allow two trains In the
same block at the same time. This official was
not prepared to say whether not the company
would prosecute the missing operator and he
did not then know If he could be prosecuted un-
der the laws Of the State Of Virginia.
An examination by an Associated Press repre-
sentative Of the telegraph sheets kept at the
Rangoon and Lawyers block Offices shows that
Mattoax allowed train No. S3, the Jacksonville
Express. upon the block. the train passing his
station and getting a clear track from him at
6:o6 o'clock.
The operator at Lawyers, the next station
ahead. claimed that Nattoax did not ask him for
"clear track for No. SO, and he therefore did
not know this train had passed Rangoon.
The block sheet at Lawyers bears out this
Claim. The sheets at both offices show that the
operator at Rangoon asked Lawyers for clear
track for No. 81, the Washington and South
western vestibuled limited and the Lawyers
operator. not knowing No 39 was in the block
70 i0fz ny u-ax- x-cTR Al o'oln M
No 81 passed Rangoon at that time If Mat
toax had reported train No. ;}3 on the block TO
Lawyers there would have been no accident be-
cause the operator at Lawyers would have held
the Southwestern Limited at Rangoon until the
Jacksonville train had cleared the block at Law
yers.
W. s. Andrews superintendent of the Dan
vile division, late this afternoon explained that
me report that the engine of the forward train
nao gone some distance ahead Of it's train when
IL became detached was erroneous and the fact
is that the engine did not leave the train more
than twenty feet, the air brakes applying fmme-
dlately on the engine we'll as on the train
The trouble was the breaking of q knuckle Of
the drawhead on the front end Of the forward
the collision occurred. N H Coapman assist
ant general superintendent seid today there
was not the slightest doubt that the fagman
mace every possible effort TO protect the rear
or the train, but he could not get around a sharp
curve IN time TO prevent the collision AS soon
'f,.5 ri me ehelneer Kenny saw the signal he ap-
post TO the last
superintendent Andrews left here late this
evening, having been called TO Washington
The death OF William Pollard, the porter in
President Spencers private car, and ]. ". Shaw
freInan' both of whom died in the city hos
Iital here last night, has sWeed the death lst
10 eight The latest word from the hospital re-
sarding the injured indicated that all probably
win recover.
The Identification made this morning Of
the Negro who was killed and burned beyond
recognition He was Benjamin Boswell. Of To-
ledo, Ohio, a dining car man who was taken
aboard Mr. 6pencer's car for the trip.
The escape of z. A Merrill of New York prI-
waite secretary 10 Mr.. Spencer the only sur
VlYor IN the party on the private car save for
porter. was miraculous. The injuries he sls-
famed are not serious. and he will be able TO
leave the hospital here probably by the Arst Of
the week.
Baltimore, Nov. 30.-The bodies Of Charles
d. Fisher and Francis T Redwood. who per
ished in the wreck on the Southern Railway
yesterday, were brought here to-day Friends
and associates Of the dead men sccomnenied
their bodies from Washington