Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1907-11-01
.GROSSCUP INDICTED
JUDGE AND OTHER TROLLEY or.
FicIAls IN GRAND JURY NET.
WARRANTS ARE ISSUED
True Bills Found at Charleston, ILL
Charge Criminal Negligence
Tending to Produce
Manslaughter.

Cbicago.-Judge Peter s. Grosscup
OF the United States circuit court and
Marshall E. Sampsell. one Of the re-
ceiyers Of the Chicago Union Traction
company, with other members OF the
board OF directors and officers of the
Nation & Charleston Interurban Rail-
road company, are defendants in true
bills voted at Charleston. ILL.,, in con.
nection with the wreck on the electric
railway last August. The true bills
charge criminal negligence tenS.ng to
produce manslaughter. Bonds Of So
600 have been furnished in each case.
Warrants for the arrest of the de.
PENDANTS on the charges alleged in the
true bills were issued at Charleston.
Judge Grossoup Affected.
Judge Grosscup was deeply affected
by the news he received from Charles.
ton and made no effort to conceal his
feelings. He said:
''Of course this hurts. To say that l
10 not care would be untrue. Like any
right.minded man, do care. My
friends, I am sure. know that have a
tender regard for human life and suf.
fering, and desire to deal justly with
all men. In 80 years Of busy life l
have never once been sued, even in q
civil action. Beyond this there is moth.
ing that can now be profitably said ex.
cept that the accident at Charleston
was due to no defect in construction
or maohinery-was due solely to hui
man error in carrying out orders-and
that my sole connection with the acct
dent is the fact that at the time it &C.
Cured happened to be director OF
the company"
The following is list of others who
have been indicted besides Judge
Grosscup and Mr.. Sampsell:
Charles Bolts, Nation, motorman.
Frederick Moore, Nation, director
and superintendent.
Edgar A. Potter, Chicago and Mat
toon, president.
l.. G. Rose, of the Colonial Trust
and Savings bank, Chicago.
A. w. Underwood, of Chicago, secre-
tary.
The penalty for involuntary man.
slaughter in Illinois, in case Of convic-
ton, is penitentiary sentence of from
one to fourteen years.
Eighteen Killed in Wreck.
The wreck on the Nation &
Charleston interurban line occurred at
1920 a. M, August 20. Ninety-nine
,,orcopo uoro poooapoorc IN an e1oc
trio interurban car going from Mat.
toon to Charleston to attend the Coles
county fair at the latter place. When
entering the mouth of a deep cut,
about a mile and half from Charles
ton, the loaded passenger car was met
head-on by an interurban express car
speeding in the opposite direction.
Eighteen of the passengers were killed
and all of the others were injured,
more or less severely.
Jurist Arrested.
Chicago.-E. H. Slower, sheriff of
Coles county, came to Chicago
Wednesday and arrested Judge Peter
S. Grosscup Of the United States cir.
cult court on charge Of manslaugh.
ter, contained in indictments returned
at Charleston, ILL.,, as a result of the
fatal wreck last summer Oh the
Charleston-M NATION interurban line, OF
which Judge Grosscup is a di.Nctor.
simultaneously warrants were
served on Francis S. Peabody, presi.
dent Of the Peabody Coal company;
Marshall e. Sampsell, receiver for the
Union Traction company, and Arthur
w. Underwood all directors in the in.
terurban company and indicted on the
same charge. Each gave bonds
amounting to $4,000.