Los Angeles herald., 1907-03-30
MANAGERS HUNcE SAVES
THE ROBERTS COMPANY
FROM TERRIBLE DEATHS

Florence Roberts and her company
were saved from injury and possible
death by what the actress manager,
Edward Glroux, termed a "hunch."
on the way west the company occu-
pied q special Pullman attached to the
baggage car and in front of the old
coaches i'm which so many Italians met
their death.
Manager Giroux declared to the con-
ductor that he felt apprehension re-
garding the safety of members of the
company. and at Tucson he induced the
conductor to change the position of the
special Pullman to a place following
the coaches containing the Italians.
When the wreck occurred the coach
which occupied the place of the car in
which Florence Roberts and her COM
pany were riding was crushed to kind
ling wood, as also was the one next TO
il. and i'm the demolition of these
coaches the Florence Roberts special
did the greatest amount of damage,
while The theatrical people suffered
nothing more serious than painful
bruises, and they were able to keep an
engagement at Bakersfield last night.
Singer Badly Bruised
At the residence of friend in Cotton
is John Brewer, the well known Sun
day school singer, badly bruised but not
seriously injured.
Mr.. Brewer who came to Los An
geles a few months ago to assist in con-
ductng the Sunday school musical fes-
tival and who is expected to take a
leading part i'm the next festival, was
returning to Los Angeles from tour
in the interest of Sunday school or
ganization.
MIR. Brower's injuries, it is thought,
will not prevent him from taking part
in the coming state Sunday school con-
Vention in Los Angeles.
Had Expected Fate
The fate which overlook Albert w.
SHE, the postal clerk who met instant
death was just what he and his wife
had long dreaded.
Constantly growing fear that he
would meet death i'm an accident had
caused SHE to determine to resign his
position and with his wife go to She's
old home at Strasburg, o., for an eX-
tended visit. In She's pocket was
found a letter to his father at Stras
burg, notifying the parent that he and
his wife soon would return home Mrs.
SHE. who is prostrated by grief at her
residence at 555 Ruth avenue, will, as
soon as she is able. take the body of
her husband to his old Ohio home for
burial.
Mr.. SHE, who was sc years of age,
was a member of Gauntlet lodge,
knights of Pythias. and of Fiesta
camp, Woodmen of the World.
Doomed to Disappointment
Death saved George L. Sharp of
Muncie, Ind, from bitter disappoint-
ment. He was on his way from Indiana
to Los Angeles, where he formerly
lived, to ask his wife, from whom he
1,o 1AO fa1 To ~ 10 i'm.
He was not aware of the fact that his
wife, during his two years absence, had
been granted divorce and later had
married. She is now Mrs. e. A. Ander-
son of 1161a West Fourteenth street
II think 1 feel worse over this affair
than over anything that has ever hap
pened in my territory" said Superin-
tendent r. V. Pratt after he had re-
turned from Cotton, where he had
| worked heroically during several hours
| Immediately following the wreck.
| MY division has been very fortunate
heretofore in regard to loss of life, and
it is hard to comprehend the situation.
The Cotton switching crew expected TO
be on the spur track leading to the
Armour fertilizing works only for an
| instant, and they left the switch open.
They evidently did not think anything
about the passenger train. They little
in so few seconds.
THE switchman was TO blame for
the accident. His action in not clos
ing the switch after passing from the
main line was in direct disobedience of
strict orders. The train was composed
of as good equipment as is used on any
road and no blame for loss of life can
be placed upon it.
"T'rain No was ten hours late, due
| to long waits for connections with
other lines in the east. 1t struck the
switch while going at the usual rate
of speed. When a heavy train strikes
as sharp a curve as the switch made
1t naturally will leave the track, even
though the speed is moderate. The
switch rod was broken or the frog
was torn out when the engine struck
it. This left the cars to take the main
line or the sidetrack or jump between
them as the impact forced them"