The semi-weekly messenger., 1907-08-23
VERDICT OF THE JURY
Warrants Issued For the Arrest
of Four Men
Sharp Conflict of Evidence Between
Railway Men and DisDatchers Was
Feature OF Inyestigation-SOuth
Railway Censured for Loose Man
ner i'm Which It's Rules are Carried
Out.
Especial to The Messenger

Especial to The MeSSenger.)
Raleigh, n. c., Aug. 19.-The inves-
tigation by Coroner Separk into the
Auburn wreck was finished this after
noon.
The feature was sharp conflict OF
evidence between some railway men
as to the use of what is known as the
middle order system" on this divis-
ion of the Southern. This is an order
which requires the sending of an order
to an operator at any station where
where trains are to meet they are to do
30.
Victor Pearvin dispatcher at Durham
was the first witness. He sent to Raj
eigh and Clayton August 9Th an order
for the trains to meet at Auburn. He
had not been in use on this division
before August 9Th and so he had no,
burn that day.
Superintendent Bennett, Of the Dur
ham division, said the middle order
system had not been ordered or requir-
ed or prescribed before the wreck Oc-
Cured, but since it had been prescrib
ed and particular notice given to car
Ty it into effect.
d. Y. Ferrall, telegraph operator al
Mebane, said that the middle order sys-
tenn had been III use all along there
and that he had never failed to oSey
the orders and to use it.
J. w. Allison, operator at Raleigh,
said that he had since the wreck re-
ceived the middle orders but that he
had not received them before.
Engineer Rippy, who has been on the
Southern for thirty-three years, 80
years as engineer, showed signs of the
severe bruising he got in jumping
from his engine that fatal evening,
said he was taken sick after eating ice
cream the day Of the wreck That he
got an order to meet the freight train
at Auburn and read this to his fire.
man, cautioning the latter not to for
-
his chiefs position and at same time
time having to keep the engine going
forgot the order. Rippy said had he
had not seen the order. Rippy said the
dispatcher failed to give the operator
at Auburn the middle order the op-
orator there gave him a white board
this being seen by the whole train crew
six in all. He said if the dispatcher
had given the middle order to the op-
orator at Auburn there would have
been no trouble, that the middle order
system was in use on the whole sys-
tenn of railway every day, not only for
passenger trains but for both passen-
ger and freigh trains
Engineers Griffin, FaisOn and Fletch-
er, Of the S. A. L., said that that road
used the middle order system and that
they considered it valuable and very
necessary precautiOn in saving lives
Jack Hamilton, baggage master on the
passenger train that was wrecked said
that sometimes train orders Were read
to baggage masters but that this was
not done in this particular case.
]. w. Angel, conductor of the Dur
ham division, said that the middle Or
der system was in order before August
9th and had been in use since and
that the special instruction in regard
to it had been given at the last exam
nation of train men,
Proceedings ended at this point, wit
nesses and audience retired, leaving the
jury to decide the case
The corners jury here this afternoon
after an inquest into the killing of En-
glneer w. G.. Parker and Fireman Rob-
ert Young and w. J. Bethel in a colIis-
ION at Auburn, this county, August 9Th,
returned a verdict that the collision
was caused by the gross negligence and
carelessness of W. w Rippy, engineer,
and c. NJ. Oakley, conductor of the pas
Senger train in over looking their or
defs to meet freight train at Auburn
and that Chief Train Dispatchers B. o.
Ketchum. and Victor Parvin, train dis
patcher, are guilty of gross NEGLIGENCE
and carelessness in not using the mid
die order which the evidence shows was
in force on said railway before August
9th, and further that the Southern
railway is to be censured for the loose
way in which it's rules are enforced
in the Durham Dustrict
Warrants We're at once issued for all
four of the persons thus found guilty
by this jury and they will be brought
here for trial