Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-01-08

ana, asked TO eSiliiidte tHt Spcou, hS PAeANS"
it at forty miles hour. Under orders,
witness said he picked up Operator Fee
ney and track hands at kenslngton t9ues.
toned about the arrival of his engine at
Silver Spring. Ross said he and Operator
Feeney went into the telegraph office He
thought Operator Dutrow was not excited
Did Dutrow volunteer any information
about the signals he had given either train
&C or extra 2i20?' the coroner asked.
mo, sir. -
Did you talk to the crew of train &C
about the wreck?'
II didn't see them.
Did you see any of the crew OF 2lZo!
II saw Conductor Hofm1er
Talk to him about the accident?
NO"
Dutrow Somewhat Worried"
Continuing the same line Of examination.
the coroner called Elmer c. Polk, engineer
of the extra 1865, to the witness chair He
testified he entered the station at Silver
Spring and he thought Operator Dutrow
appeared to be somewhat worried.
Asked to explain further, Polk said there
was apparent confusion of orders, because
the crew of 1865 had an order to proceed
to the scene of the trouble, and DutroW
had an order to hold the engine. Witness
admitted upon further examination. that
he meant only that there was slight con-
fusion in orders. Polk said Dutrow seemed
fully able to attend to his duties.
DID you have any conversation with the
hagman of 212O, who came back to stop
your engine?" Juryman Ricketts, asked:
II only asked him where the rear of his
train was" Polk replied.
The operator at Washington Junction, AL
bert d. Fisher, was next called.
Did you see Engineer Hildebrand Sun
day. the 3Oth?" the coroner queried.
Yes" he came into the tower
Had he been drinking"
mol don't think he had"
Did Hidebrand or his conductor. Hoff-
mier seem angry because they were held
behind other trains on the division?"
mo. can't say they did"
How about the clock in your station-is
II standard clock?"
Il can't say. l do not know what stand
ard clock is supposed to be-
We'll, do you not get the correct time
each day at noon?"
II understand the time is taken by the
day man. l do not work during the day"
Did either Hildebrand or Hoffmier COM
pare their watches with your clock?'
Il did not see them. l 10 not think they
did"
usually compare their watches with your
tower clock?'
"They frequently do
Several other questions were asked con-
corning any statement Hildebrand might
have made about the speed he proposed
making to Washington or to Baltimore, but
Fisher said he heard nothing of the sort
Testimony that he had closed his station
ahead of time was given by Operator W.
F. Matthews, in charge of the station at
Randolph.
Was Not on Duty.
Were you on duty when 212O passed.
was the question which brought out this
fact.
mo, because l thought the extra would
not reach my station in my time, and 1 was
due to close at $780, Matthews said.
What time did you closer
about 6:12 6:13.''
What signal did you set when you left?'
None at all, perfectly dark; the block
both ways was clear"
Did you get good night from the train
Dispatcher
NO. not that night
How about Rockville?"
Il am not positive
Did you wait to see if train 66 passed
kensngton before you closed?'
Yes, sir.
Operator Matthews said he resides at
kensington and was on the way home on a
railway velocipede when 212O passed him
near Rock Greek. He said it was running
thirty-five or forty miles hour.
If 2120 approached Randolph before $50
and saw no signal, what should the engi-
neer have done?"
Stopped
Did he stop"
Il don't think 500
Would you have heard him if he had
stopped?"
Il pretty sure / would"
Superintendent Galloway was called upon
for a statement in this regard, and he
quoted rule y, which emphatically states
that the absence of a signal where signal
should be displayed, the showing of an
improper signal, meant stop
At 80 o'clock recess was taken until 2
o'clock
Proceedings This Afternoon.
When the afternoon session opened
Policeman James II. Houser of the tenth
precinct was placed on the stand and he
gave a description of the wreck as he saw
it. S sakng of conversation he had
with the crew of 2120, the policeman said
they claimed to have passed double
green signal at Silver Spring, and they
told him they got no target at Takoma-
that the signals We're tied down.
Was that the exact words the crew
used?' queried the coroner.
Yes, they all said about the same that
the Takoma signals were tied down and
the office was closed "
Sergt. Thaddeus Beam of the seventh
precinct testified TO hearing of the wreck
from Policeman Houser, and about going
up the track and passing the bodies of
many dead.
How far past the platform at Terra
Gotta station was the rear car of the extra
train?" questioned Coroner hewitt.
About quarter of a mile
Sergt. Beam added that he asked En-
gineer Hildebrand whether he had passed
piled Takoma was either closed down or
tied down. Beam then directed Policeman
Houser to arrest Hidebrand and other
members of the crew of the extra.
Proceedings Late Yesterday.
After The Stars report closed yesterday
W. w. Zepp, member of the crew of
extra 1865 placed on the stand and
testified to seeing engine 2l20 pass him at
Tuscarora Sunday night. He detailed the
stops made by his train until reaching
Silver Spring, where he said a red and
green signal was displayed. Zepp was
asked whether he had talked with Hide
brand about the signals at Silver Spring
and answered in the negative.
Station Keeper Trumble OF Silver Spring
who testified Friday, was recalled. He re-
iterated his statements about white sig
nails being shown for train III and for en-
CINE 2l2O when they passed.
Calling to Mr. Galloway, who was in the
room, the coroner asked further about the
disputed double green and the answer
brought out was that the double green
could not properly be used at all at Silver
Spring as long as Takoma station was
open.
Witness Zepp was recalled and he re-
peated a statement said to have been made
to him by Flagman Rutter of the dead
head extra, that 2120 was moving at a rate
of fifty miles an hour when 1t struck train
&C.
Ralph Rutter fagman on the enujnmept