Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-09-23
| MIGHT HAVE SAVED HIM
| Claim Made That Police Hinder
ed Engineers Rescue
AT RECENT DERAILMENT
Brotherhood Committees Investigat-
ing Death of Hugh Murphy.
RAILROAD MEN HELD BACK
It is Asserted That They Could Have
Released the Unfortunate Man
Within a Short Time.

| 1t was learned las. night that thorough
| investigation has been made by the Broth
| erhood of Locomotive Engineers and GER
| tain railroad officials into the circumstances
| surrounding the recent death of Engineer
Hugh Murphy of the Southern railroad,
! who was pinned beneath the cab of his
engine and slowly scalded to death by the
| escaping steam and hot water when the
| locomotive was overturned at 9th street
| and Maryland avenue southwest recently.
The principal investiga ton was made by
| two committees representing. respectively,
Division 100 of the Brotherhood of Loco
| motive Engineers of this city and Division
| 311 of Alexandria, Va
These committees acted jointly in the
investigation. They were composed of the
| following engineers: Division 100, Messrs.
! Sparks Nelson and Rehlman; Division 81,
| Messrs Thomas H. Brickley. Joseph Jones,
| Herbert Linn and John Watkins.
When Mr.. Thomas H. Brckley was seen
last night by Star reporter he said that
the committee had secured more than TWEEN
ty statements of eye-witnesses of the horri-
| BILE death of Engineer Murphy beneath his
! engine and that Attorney Charles Bend
helm mad taken charge of the written state
ments and would put them in proper shape
for presentation to the District Commission
ers tomorrow or Tuesday. The attorney
will, 1t is said, call for full and searching
investigation of the conduct of the police
of the fourth precinct, under command of
Capt. Mathews, at the time of the fatality.
Alleged Arbitrary Action.
1t is said all of the numerous statements
of witnesses tend to show that the life of
Engineer Murphy might have been saved
had it not been for the alleged arbitrary
action of the police. 1t is pointed out that
he was not crushed to the earth by the
overturned engine, as has been sta ted, but
was held down by the cab of the locomotive
alone, and that had the railroad men pres
ent been allowed to use the Jacks" they
could have released him from twenty to
twenty-five minutes sooner than he was
freed from the capsizing cab ana perhaps
saved his life.
Instead of allowing the railroad men to
perform the rescue work. it is alleged. they
were driven back by the police, while the
steam and scalding water was pouring out
in suffocatng masses upon the unfortunate
man. 1t is alleged that the police. and
some Of the firemen stood quarreling while
Engineer Murphy was being scalded to
death.
Another allegation is that a storekeeper
of the neighborhood who was tanning the
scalding steam from the face of Murphy
was dragged away from his humane work.
1t will be shown, 1t is further stated, that
neither the police nor firemen knew how to
use the railroad Jacks that were pro-
cured for the purpose Of raising the cab
from the dying engineer. and that the rail-
road men who did know how to use them
were driven back by the police when they
attempted to do SO.
Caused Much Feeling.
Engineer Brckley said the matter had
caused much feeling in railroad circles,
and that it was proposed to make strong
effort to have the affair thoroughly inquired
into and if there are any guilty to insist
their nlniShmpnt. He added that
twice within a year had there been similar
happenings on the railroads entering this
city.
The other case occurred in the eastern
tunnel, he said. The engineer of locomo-
tive was struck by a brick or stone near
the entrance of the tunnel and lost control
Of his locomotive, which was overturned.
The man was pinned beneath the engine
and several railroad men, who were ex-
perienced in such matters undertook to un-
dermne the imprisoned engineer and thus
release him from his perilous position, when
they were driven back from the locomotive
by the police.
We will demand" said Mr. Brickley,
that in the future when such accidents
happen the railroad men be allowed to per-
form the rescue work.
1t was stated that the general body
of the Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineeIs, which is a powerful organ
welt is said to be an honorary men,
Der, has taken up the matter of the
death of Engineer Murphy and will assist
the local divisions to bring about a thor
ough investigation of the circumstances at
tending his unfortunate death. -
I'VE are not seeking revenge" said Mr..
Brickley, who Is an engineer on the South
ern railway. but we are going to place the
responsibility for Mr.. Murphy's death and
endeavor to prevent the possibility of such
a happening in the future, especially as
there were two similar happenings here
within one year..