Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-08-09

The grand jury exonerated William NJ
Dutrow, telegraph operator at sSilver
Spring: William E. McCauley, assistant
division operator Of the road; Thomas f.
Dent. train dispatcher; John w. Kelly. jr.'
trainmaster; Benjamin L. Vermiiiion ana
George w. Neagle. engineer and conductor.
respectively, Of the .ll-fated train, all of
whom had been held by the coroner's jury
as responsible for the wreck The six men
had given bonds to await the grand jury's
action. The bonds will be Cancelled and the
sureties discharged.
Two Under Bond.
Engineer Hildebrand and Conductor Hon-
meier have each given 5000 bail. P. J.
Collins qualifying on Hildebrands bond,
and w. W. Stewart on the bail Of Hof-
meier, Mcclellan and Rutter. it is under
stood, will be arrested today and required
to furnish security for their appearance
when the trial Of the case Is called.
The Indictment, which Is in two counts,
covers about twenty-five typewriter pages,
seven devoted to the first count, and the
second ss-ering fifteen pages. After de-
scribing the line Of railway operated by
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Company
from this city to Rockville. and Of Its divl-
sion into spaces Of various lengths called
blocks, and that at the end Of each block fs
erected q station, the first count OF the IN
dictment sets forth the meaning OF the
various lights displayed at the block
towers. and the duty imposed BY the com
pany on the crews of It's trains to observe
and obey the signals displayed
On the night Of the wreck. the 1ndict-
ment charges each Of the block signal
stations was IN charge OF servant OF the
under the rules and regulations OF the com
pany during the period Of time On each
day that such station was in operation, or
displaying at such station signals Tor the
regulation guidance and direction OF loco
motive engineers in charge Of locomotive
engines attached to and drawing trains or
cars and of other persons. in charge OF
such trains Of cars travelins upon oh ara
the signal station; that a certain train OF
cars, upon which were Theodore l. King
and many other persons, passengers law
fully travelling upon the me OF railway,
and which train Of cars was moving on the
eastward track toward and IN the direction
Of Washington, and which train was In
charge of one George w. Nagle. who was
the conductor, and one Benjamin L. YER
million, who was the locomotive engineer
in charge of the locomotive engine attached,
reached the said signal station or Iakoma.
and before the hour OF g o'clock and thirty
proper signal from the servant of the rail-
road company in charge of the last men
toned signal station, passed into the block
beginning at the station of Takoma and
ending at the station Of University.
Alleged Dereliction.
Another train (No. 2120). it Is declared,
was moving on the same track and in the
direction Of Washington, under the charge
of the four defendants, and, 1t is alleged,
under the rules and regulations of the COM
pany as they, Hildebrand, Mcclellan, Hoff-
meier and Rutter we'll knew, 1t was the
d,1ty of Hildebrand, as locomotive engineer,
to carefully watch for and see and obey
the signals displayed at all OF the block
Signal stations for the government OF the
train of cars; and It was then and there the
duty of Mcclellan, as fireman, TO care
fully watch for and see the signals ds-
played at all of the block signal stations
for the government Of the train of cars, and
to report the same to Htldebrand, as such
locomotive engineer; and Hoffmeier, as
conductor, was responsible for the move
ment, safety and proper care of the train
of cars and for the vigilance and conduct
of HiIdebrand, as locomotive engineer, of
Mcclellan, as fireman, and of Rutter, as
brakeman. and 1t was then and there the
duty of Hoffmeier. as conductor to care
fully watch for and to see the signals dis
PLAYED at all of the block signal stations
for the government of the train of cars, and
to see that Hiidebrand, as locomotive engi-
neer, obeyed all such slshaIs; ana il was
the duty of Rutter, as brakeman, to care
fully watch for and see the signals dis
PLAYED on all of the block signal stations
for the government of the train Of cars, and
to see that Hildebrand, as locomotive eng-
neer obeyed all such signals and to imme-
diately report to Hoffmeier as conductor,
any disobedience on the part of Hildebrand,
as locomotive engineer, of any such Sig
nals.''
Display of Block Signal.
When the first train was in the block
between Takoma and University, 1t 10
charged. train No. 2l2O, operated By the