The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1906-07-31
RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD BE
FINED.

The responsibility for the awfu'
wreck between Hamlet and Rocking
nam should be fixed. some people
put the blame On one official and some
on another. The Raeford Facts and
Figures Of Yesterday. says:
The Railroad Commission has
placed the blame for SundaS nights
wreck on the Scaboard AR Line on
the Hamlet operator"
This is Incorrect. We think. for the
responsibility ought To- be placed on
| the guilty party. so that the men sus-
pected OF negligence may be relieved
of any suspicion. Both the Rocking
nam papers say the operator there was
not guilty. The Headlight y
\ regards the placing Of tn re-
| sponsibility for the Hamlet wreck by
the Corporation Commission. W" frmly
! believe our Rockingham officials Viii
be more than able to clear their skirt
Of any blame whatsoever. and Ne DO
certainly hope 50. In their hours OF
trial our sympathy has been all
theirs
The Rockingham Anglo-SaNon prints
in a conspicuous place the following:
1T is very gratifying to the many
friends Of Mr.. Luther, night operator
at the depot here. and to himself in
particular. that he is not the cause of
the wreck Sunday night by which 50
many lost their lives.
The Corporation Commission lays
the blame to the agents. 1t Is true,
and to the need of the block ystem,
but Mr. Luthe has in his possession
the order to let the train proceed to
Hamlet. He also has the order tell
ing him to hold the passenger train
here. but he received it too 1ate-the
train had gone.
1--WE believe Mr.. Luther to be an
honest. conscientious, Christian gentle
man, and have never thought once that
he was the guilty party.
MI. Luther was sent back to his
by the railroad authorities, which
proves that they did not believe he
was guilty. The day operator, Mr..
league, was dismissed"
The public expected that the Cor
poration Commission would fix the re
sponsibility. but in it's findings it con-
tented itself with the following state
ment:
This collision was caused by fail
ure Of agents of the railroad company
to observe and obey the rules ana
regulations of the company, govern
ing the movement of trains.
ct would serve no useful purpose
for the Corporation Commission to
Illlu WHICH, dS1iII vi dSC1IIS az III
of negligence in this matter, as such
finding would not be binding or con-
elusive upon any one, and might be
prejudicial in other Investigations.
The purpose of our investigation, as
we understand it, is that the Corpora
ton Commission might take such
measure within their powers as to
prevent the recurrence of such acct
dents."
This would seem to leave it to the
solicitor inc the grand jury of Rich
mond county. where the wreck Oc-
Cured. to make the investigation
to fix the responsibility and
prosecute the party whose negligence
was responsible for the wreck.
1t is due alike to the employees of the
railroad and to the public that the re-
SpOnSibility be fixed upon the party
negligent, and it is to be regretted
that the Corporation Commission did
not pursue their Investigation to the
point of ascertaining who was in fault.
That body can act quickly and has
better facilities for going to the bot
quickly than any grand jury can
have. If the law does not authorize |
and require them to make lnyestiga-
ton and ascertain who is responsible
wrecks. that additional duty should
be conferred upon them. |