Los Angeles herald., 1906-07-29
OFFICIALS ATTEMPT
TO KEEP PUBLIC
IN TOTAL DARKNESS

Otnclals at the Pacific Electric depot
including Claim Agent Green and Sta
tlon Master Barnes, did everything in
their power to prevent anxious friends
ana lnoulrers and newspaper reporters
from gaining any knowledge of the
accident or names of the injured.
station officer Barnes on meeting
several Of the newspaper reporters
forced them beyond the ropes around
the entrance to the hospital room.
Then he promised them that a COM
plete list Of names would be furnished
by Claim Agent Green or his assistant.
Harris. Incidentally he failed to notice
several persons who climbed over and
under the ropes, but kept an eagle eye
on the newspaper men.
Assistant Claim Agent Harris stated
that an order must be secured from
Mr.. Mcmillan of the Pacific Electric
company granting the publication of
the list of injured. Upon Harris advice
Mcmillan was visited. The latter only
issued clumsily orded statement of
the company regarding the collision.
Mcmillan said that the claim agent
would furnish the list of injured to all
newspapers and that there was abso-
lutely no reason for Withholding the
same.
Green Disappeared
"All that is necessary" said Mr.. Nc
MILAN, "is to give Mr.. Green a little
breathing time. He is burdened with
work, but will, / have no doubt, furni-h
the list of names of the injured
On returning 20 the vicinity of the
hospital door Mr.. Green refused to give
out the names of the injured, which by
that time was unquestionabl~ complete,
as there were only two injured lying
in he faI
AS the injured were hur-iedlJ dressed
they were taken on stretcners down
the elevator to the cellar and placed
in carriages and sent to their homes
Claim Agent Green made several trips
up and down with the ovator. Sud-
denly he disappeared, and, according
to his assistant Harris, went to his
offices on the seventh floor of the
building.
Inquiry at the claim agents office
was to the effect that Green had not
been there since the report Of the COL
lision. A few minutes later one of the
clerks came out of Mr.. Green's private
office and stated that Green had gone
to his home in Glendale and had phoned
the clerks to not give out any names
of injured until he had been consulted
in the matter. This information left
the impression that perhaps Green
would live up to the promises that had
been made and that he would return to
the offices in a short time.
Tries to Suppress News
After waiting several minutes more
the information came from behind the
closed doors of the private Office that
Green had phoned the clerks Office a
second time to the effect that he had no
intention of returning to the city after
he had gone to his home ana that if
any names of injured were to be had by
relatives and friends of the injured
these would have to be secured by the
public in any old way they could get
them. So far as Green and his asso-
ciates were concerned 1t was apparent
that they believed 1t was a golden op-
portunity for them to keep all infor-
nation to themselves.
Several relatives of seriously injured
passengers of the disastrous trip made
repeated attempts to see their suffer-
ing relatives. In many instances the
visitors at the hospital were told that
the injured had been taken away In
carriages and automobiles.
one young man suddenly rushed be-
yond the ropes and was Immediately
grabbed by Officer Barnes The latter
tried to compel the young man to re-
main outside of the ropes. The young
mans father was seated on half
broken chair with one arm I'm a sling
and In very weakened condition.
Barnes tried to shove the young man
away.
This is my father officer, and I'll re-
main here until | can take him away"
said the young man.
To the credit of Barnes 1t must be
said that he recognized his cue to get
busy elsewhere.
A glance at the list OF injured shows
how unsuccessful the attempts We're to
keep the public in darkness.