The Washington herald., 1907-01-10

one block station operator. of the Bal
timore and Ohio Railroad. were held for
the action of the grand jury by the
cOrOner's jury last night as responsible
for the Terra Gotta disaster. The eight
men held are:
It. r. DENT. assistant train dis
pateher. Baltimore.
}. W. KELLY, division trainmaster.
Baltimore.
w. T.. McCAULEY, assistant division
operator. BaItimOre.
w. VI. DUTROW, operator at Silver
Spring.
HARRY II. HLDEBRAND, engineer
OF extra 2I2O.
FRANK +. HOFFMEIER, conductor
of extra 212O.
b. L. VERNILLION, engineer Of
train SO.
GEORGE w. NEAGLE, conductor of
train SO.
Operator Dutrow was held chiefly re-
spOnsible. and the other men were held
responsible in a lesser degree.
The verdict returned by the jury
after four and One-half hours Of deIib-
Grafton was most sweeping in char
acter. Aside from the action taken in
regard to the eight railroad men, the
jury included in the finding a severe
criticism Of the manual block system
operated by the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad on the Metropolitan Branch.
and recommended several radical re-
forms by means OF which it is thought
The patrons Of the railroad viii be af-
fOrde6 better protection.
OmciaIs Not Yet Arrested.
The three officials held by the jury were
in Baltimore yesterday. They will net be
arrested in that city, but through the
courtesy of the district attorney of
Washington they will be allowed to come
10 this city to-day and surrender them
selves. Operator DUtrow and the four
trainmen were arrested after the verdict
was returned and taken TO the Jail
Hildebrand and Hoffmeier were released
at midnight on bond and returned to their
homes in Baltimore. Attorney Henry Z.
Davis, counsel for the engineer and con-
ductor, arranged the amount of bond with
Assistant District Attorney Harvey Given.
Hoffmeier was released on 5000 bond fur
nished by Dr. W ". Stewart. and Hide
I.
Given. and furnished By Patrick J. Col
Inns and Charles Shelton. of Washington
The fact that the railroad officials held
by the jury should be treated more
lcniently than the trainmen and operator
was remarked upon by several attorneys
and city officials who have followed the
proceedings Of the inquest Another Incl
dent OF the inquiry that caused much
comment yesterday was the fact that Divi-
sion Superintendent O. H. Hobbs and
Superintendent OF Transportation G. ".
Galloway were allowed 10 be present at
all times during the proceedings. All other
witnesses were excluded from the room
except when called I'm TO testify.
Many Of the railroad employees who were
witnesses stated afteTward that the pres
ence Of their superiors had the effect -
preventing them from giving their tcsti-
mony as freely as they wanted to-
Text of Verdict.
The verdict is as follows.
An inquisiu6n taken at No. 70 Engine
House before me. ]. Ramsey Nevitt. NJ.
D. coroner. upon the view of the body OF
Theodore l. King, then and there lying
dead. upon the oaths of Oscar J. Ricketts,.
George Mueller. G. W. Weaver. Andrew
J. Sanford, and J. W. BeaH. who say.
upon their oaJhs. that the said Theodore I.
King came to his death on Sunday. De-
cembeT 30. 1905. at or near Terra Gotta, i'm
the District of Columbia. near the hour
OF 6:S5 D. m, from fracture Of the skull
caused by an impact between trains Sc
and extra 1120, on the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad; that the said impact of rear
end collision was due to the negligent
action of the operator. William NJ.
Dutrow. in displaying an improper signal
TO the crew of the train No 2leO. and We
direct that said DUtTow be held crimi-
nally responsible 70 the action of the
grand jury.
We also find the following persons re-
spOnsible in d less degree for the death
of the said Theodore King. and direct
that they be held for the action of the
grand jury: ". +. McCauley. assistant
division operator. for a violation of rule
713 Of The rules OF the Baltimore and
Ohio Railway Company for the govern
ment and operating Of the department
which provides that he shall have
charge of dispatches. telegraph opera
tors, and linemen on his division; would
direct them with regard to their duties.
and see that they understand them &c
by employing and continuing in the en-
ployment OF the Baltimore and Ohio
Railroad Company as an operator in an
important signal station IN inexperi-
enced and inefficient man. in whom
proper reliance could not be placed by
the trainmen and other signal operators
on the same division.
Failed to Report Matter.
Engineer B. L. Vermillion and Con
ductor George ". Nagle. for violation
Of rule q Of the aforesaid rules. in that
having received and accepted an i'm.
proper double green signal at Silver
Spring, Nd, before $50 2. m, they failed
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