The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1907-04-15
Boone Rejoices in Acquittal
of Engineer He Consci-
entiously Prosecuted.
NOT MEANT.
Woodville Wreck Was Due Wholly
to the Unwritten Laws of
Railroading.

Prosecutor d. E. Boone. who repre-
sented the state in its case against
Frank Galnouer, the B. & O. engineer
who was charged with being respon-
sible for the WoodvilIe wreck said
last night that although technically
Galnouer was guilty, he was glad he
was acquitted.
This was rather remarkable state
ment for the prosecutor to make. when
ordinarily man in his capacity is sup
posed to be disappointed when he has
a good case for the state and is de-
feated. and so his explanation is doubly
interesting.
If Mr. Boone is correct in his stand
regarding Galnouer the mooted ques-
ton as to where the responsibility for
wrecks should be placed has been de-
cided.
Mr.. Boone says that Galnouer is one
of the finest fellows he ever met He
is a clean cut man and his standing
in the community is vouched for by a
banker and a well known business man
in Garret Ind, his home town.
"Galnouer has been employed by the
Baltimore railroad for the past II
years" said Mr.. Boone. and in that
time his record was as clean as that
Of any other engineer on the road"
1t Was Terrible Night.
The night of the wreck was ter
/ rible one. 1t was half raining and
half showing and the wind was blow
ing at a terrific rate. Galnouer had a
run of $50 miles and in this distance
he was compelled to watch over $50
signal lights and 200 whistle signals,
and in the absence of certain instruc-
tions was actually compelled to give
500 whistle signals.
He was the engineer on the first
section of the passenger train, and il
is said he failed to give the sigma
to the engineer of the freight that tn,
second section of the passenger trair
was following.
A terrible wreck followed in which
60 lives were lost. When the grant
jury made an inquiry for the purpose
Of fixing the responsibility upon the
railroad, the officials produced the bool
| of rules and showed conclusively thai
the engineer was responsible Tt
further emphasize the matter, Gal
nouer was discharged.
When Galnouer's trial was held th'
attorneys for the defense showed con
clusively that although Galnouer hac
been furnished with the company
rules and instructions they never wer,
intended to be followed out. In fac
it was shown that if an engineer shoul'
try conscientiously to carry out tn
instructions of the company he coul,
not run his train more than ten mile
an hour.
AS a railroad man is expected to ge
results; as he is supposed to take hi
train out on schedule time and brini
it in on schedule time, he would hav
been summarily discharged If he ha
even attempted to carry out the in
structions to the letter
In other words, it was proved tha
the Baltimore & Ohio railroad, an
others for that matter are ordinaril
: run partly by rule and partly by guess
work, and when a wreck does occu
the railroad employees are shouldere
with the blame.
: Galnouer was a conscientious en-
ploye. He had spent nearly a scor
: Of the best years of his life in tn
e service of the railroad He was tol
to do the impossible. He did it to tn
e best of his ability. He made ba
e guess and terrible wreck was til
i result He was discharged and is sal
: to be a physical wreck as a result {
e his terrible experience.
d There are other engineers who wi
take his place. and the road will
0 conducted in the same hit or miss mar
e ner. That. according to Mr.. Boone,
d the reason why the American peop
pay the railroads their terrible toll
human life.