Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1906-12-05
STATEMENT or OPERATOR.
sass ass is Is Not Responsible For
Wreck and Could Prove Claim If
3. Given OpportnnitYs TO be Heard.

Lynchburg, Va, Special:-Opera.
tor. G. D, Mottgx. who, Is charged by:
officials 6f The Southern Railway
Con1pahy with being responsible for
Thursdays wreck,s ten miles below
Lynchbnrg, when: seen Sunday at his
home, eight miles from here, by the
Representative Of the Associated
Press, smade The following Statement
III his 8#h behalf:
1.-THE statement, Of officials of The
Southern Railway that / have been
Musings since the. wreck OF Thursday
morning and could not be found, al
though detectives of the company
were securing the countly.sfor me, is
without the Slightest foundation I
have been at my boarding place prac-
,tically nil Of the time Since the acci;;
dent. This ls%the first statement, [
have .beeY asked to make about tho
matter and You lreferring TO the re
porter are the first person that l
know. of that has asked; for me.
tfon the night preceding the wreck
1 attended q box party iii the neigh
borhood with friends; the day opera.
tor working for me until I returned to
the Office about midnight. The night
being chilly the operator, L. Clemmer,
decided to remain at the office until
6 'clock.- He.returned-at,E e and re-.
lieyed me, suggesting that ] go home,
because It Was apparent to linn that
7 had passed through in the previous
hour. i did this and remained 1T
home the entire day: About 6 O'Clock
getting my usual midnight lunch a,
started for the station to report for
night duty. Reaching the Office 4.
saw a large crowd eopgIegatsd out.
side and from what ssalls' s
teludedi izitt} would BE SbeSE alslsss,
to go in thes office. I leaH,es
day operator that ah6fas siaa
had been sept TO relieve me and this
is all the notice i have had that my
services were not wanted that night.
After that i returned and slept the
night through.
81 am not to blame for? the wreck
and I think. T :would have no trouble
to substantiate this. claim if given the
opportunity to be heard. Operator
Clemmer and student operator wero
both in the Office and heard the oper-
ator at Lawyers give lie a clear track
for No.. 33 (the train to which Presi-
dent .Spencer's cal, was attached.t; J;
This was at o'clock, as the block
Sheet IN the Office will show. If my
recollection serves me right, No. 33
passed, Rangoon at 6:06 and I report
ed this to Lawyers. I cannot recall
that the operator there signed for tha
report, but was his business to be
thereto takeI The report. I let: No.
33 in the block because Lawyers gave
me the right :of way for the train.
When No. 81 (Which collided with
|. the rear of No. 33) left Winners (the
first block station north of Rangoonl
I began to call for Lawyers. ] con-
tinued to call until the train was
nearly in. sight of my Office and got
Lawyers just: assS337 :: was coming IN
sight. He gave me "a clear block for
No. 81 at 6:12.., / remember the time
very distinctly and the train passed
the block at 6:14. AS No. 81 was
passing Rangoon I was talking to the
operator at Lawyers. He wanted to
know.Mhen-No. 80 was by me. I told
him at the time my sheet shows, but
T cafinot recall the minute.
9Then I, asked him, "When by
YOU, and he said 'by," but did not
give me the time. Ibid not give No.
81 q clear block until the operator at
Lawyers gave me authority and [ can
prove this by Operator Clelnmer and
by The student operator, who has been
studying at the Office for the past
year. When No. s37 had entered the
block Lawyers told me that No. 33
wass by and whenI asked him the
time so I could record it, he opened
-his skey.-and did not reply. No. 81
hads gone then.
q do not feel responsible for the
accident and l. 7 have been and am
new: where the railway detectives or
authorities can find me at: any time.
T have no desire TO get away, but
would court an investigation to clear