New-York tribune., 1906-10-31
CENSURE CENTRAL R. R
SUBJECT, ELEVENI'H AYE.
accused of Murder at Hearing Be
fore State Commission.

The New York Central & Hudson River
Railroad Company Toundly censured for
the present conditions in Eleventh avenue at
yesterdays meeting of the State Railroad Com
mission by the West Side Taxpayers Associa-
ton. III. c. Schneider secretary. charged that
the company violated the law in not complying
with the requirement OF the recommendations
made by the commission. and declared that ''the
conditions in Eleventh avenue are intolerable
and have been so for thirty-fve years" He
serted that the blood of the victims Of the rail-
roads negligence rests on the State Commits
sion and the city authorities who have failed to
stop the killing of the people by freight trains on
the West Side"
Mr. Schneider put the entire commission on
the stand for awhile. and forced answers to some
straightforward questions
What power have you to enforce your recon-
mendations?" asked Mr.. Schneider
In case the railroad company does not COM
ply with our recommendations We will refer the
matter to the Attorney General" replied Chair
man Dunn
That would mean more delay" remarked Mr.
Schneider. until others like young Brennan are
killed"
Commissioner Dickey said 1t was the duty of
the city authorities to put q stop to anything
that was dangerous to life and detrimental to
health. He also said that the commission made
the recommendations as a last resort, and that
some of them had been partly complied with
Commissioner Dickey added that there had been
no complaint that the order had been disobeyed
until two weeks ago, and that the hearing was
then promptly ordered.
Mr.. Schneider described the killing of the
Brennan boy last week as murder and declared
that the engineer had not been arrested and
charged that the company was concealing the
murderers Of young Brennan from the police.
Mr.. Schneider said that there a fire the
West Side river front September and that
the fire engines were blocked by a train made up
Of thrty-six which closed seven blocks.
He then filed with the commission a letter re-
ceived from Superintendent John LOTUS admit
ting that trains of than twenty-five cars
were operated in Eleventh avenue and promising
to try to conform to the requirements of the
law. Mr.. Schneider also submitted a schedule
Of the passenger. freight and hog trains run on
certain days in September. It showed that
trains operated only a minute apart and
that the freight trains were made up of 80, 3S,
II and 40 cars, and that some of the hog trains
We're stalled for half hour more. Mr..
Schneider said that because the hogs owned
by the president of the West Side Taxpayers
Association he refused to sign the complaint.
Were L railroad commissioner" he said.
and my orders were disobeyed yours have
been by the New York Central & Hudson River
Railroad, would resign do something else"
A. H. Harris, counsel for the railroad COM
pany, said:
Undoubtedly admit that there were acct
dents in Eleventh avenue for which the COM
pany was 10 blame. and others that the victims
were responsible for. The Brennan boy was
hurt by jumping on bumper, and a brakeman
caught him from being carried under the wheels.
The reports of the commission were next ex-
amtned at Mr.. Harriss request, and they con-
tanned no mention of the violations alleged by
Secretary Schneider.
Principal Chsffield. of the West 44th street
public school, who was called in support of the
complaint, said he had intention of making
any remarks, because conditions in Eleventh
avenue had not been called to his attention He
said. however, that 1900 pupils attending the
Gath street school lived TO the westward of
Eleventh avenue. The commission reserved its
decision.
The commission also reserved the decision in
the application of Robert E Simon of the Fort
George trolley line, for a franchise to build
overhead trolley line to connect with the subway
at Dyckman street and over the winding
road to Fort George Hill and southwark through
Nicholas