Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-07-05
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IS. and he did not tell them to warn

The witness stated that he started the
freight car out of Rosslyn Immediately be-
hind the passenger car, but soon fell be-
hind it some distance. He saw the ap-
preaching passenger car about $50 yards
ahead. and had brought the freight train
to standstill. he testified. when the col
liSiOn occurred.
Was the failure of Crack and Morgan
to notify Mock that you were coming. in
your opinion. the cause of the accidentT
The witness stated that they fell some
distance behind the passenger train they
were supposed to follow because the freight
train stopped to put on some pipe just after
leaving Rosslyn. Supervisor Lyons of the
pipe. he said
Did supt. Garrett tell you to stop to
take on the pipe?"
No. 1 stopped on my own responsibility.
at the suggestion of Supervisor Lyons"
stated the witness.
Had the freight train not stopped. it was
testified. 1t might have passed the hill on
which the accident happened.
Jesse Thomas was the next witness. He
had been employed by the railroad only two
days when the accident happened. and he
was learning to be conductor on Morgans
car. the one which was to deliver the order
that could have prevented the accident His
testimony corroborated that of Motorman
Downs. that Downs had told Motorman
Crack and Conductor Morgan the order
given by Supt. Garrett. Thomas admitted
that he did not speak to Motorman Mock
at Clarendon. although he knew of the
order given by Mot0rman Downs. Con-
ductor Morgan told him. after leaving
Clarendon. that he had forgotten to deliver
the order. but then it was too late to stop
Motorman Mocks car.
Why Morgan Forgot.
William A. Morgan, the conductor, was
the next witness called, and young man.
twenty-one years old. stepped before Cor
ASpf 10
not appear to be nervous. and in the course
of his testimony he did not shield himself
AT first he was asked general questions
regarding the operating system of the road.
He, said that he had never received any
written orders since he had been on the
road. - -
i sometimes received orders from a con-
ductor. sometimes from a motorman and
sometimes from Mr.. Garrett he testified.
The witness then stated that Motorman
Downs told him that the freight train was
to follow his car to Vietch's Summit; that
he understood from that order that he was
to tell Motorman Mock at Clarendon to
wait for the freight train. and that he
forgot to give the order.
How did you happen to forget?" he
asked.
When we got to Clarendon 1 got off my
car ana the passengers there grabbed me
and asked questions to where this car
or that car was going and all was excite
ment and it slipped my memory right then"
acknowledged the witness. After they had
passed Clarendon about 500 yards, he
stated. he remembered the order and told
Motorman Crack of his forgetting to warn
Mock.
He stated that the system of holding up
a niger was the usual method of notifying
ahother crew that there was a car to fol-
low.
always thought that it was a poor sys-
TEN. added the conductor
Ever speak to your superiors about it ?"
NO SIR he stated
Ivy" '' V''@''
Yes, sir"
Were there any orders as to speed of
cars?"
We could make any speed, to make the
scheduled time" stated the witness
II we had remembered to tell Mock of
the freight train. there would have been
no COLLISION concluded the witness
Not His Duty
Robert Crack, thirty years old the mo.
torman on Morgan's car, was the next wit
ness. He stated that as his car was moving
out of Roxslyn Motorman Downs shouted to
him that the freight train was to follow to
Vetch's Summit.
What did you understand by that or
der?" was asked the motorman
Il understood that the freight train was
to follow he replied.
Did you understand you were to tell
any one nStllnS.
NO sir. he answered. II didn't con-
slider it my duty to tell the waiting car, as
the conductor usually told him..
The only way Mock was TO krow of the
extra train was to have some one tell him?"
he was asked.
Yes, sir.
The conductor of that car Mock was on
then had perfect right to assume that
the track clear, if your conductor for
got to tell him.
Yes. sir
Crack testified that he had never received
any written orders on the line and that he
had used the system or holding up one
finger to indicate that a was to follow
and shouting lone more or two more.
as the case might be.
Frank Lyon. editor of the Alexandria
County Monitor, was called to the witness
stand at the request of the jurors and was
asked to describe the condition of the car
as he found 1t. when he reached the scene
of the wreck. He stated that the end NJ tho
car was badly smashed and that he noticed
that the post or stanchion inside was well
rotted out" Commonwealth Attorney Gran
dial Mackey added that he also examined
the wrecked car and found that part of the
wood work was rotten. Previously. Super-
intendent Garrett stated that the car body
was an old one when purchased by the
road
Mr.. Mackey also tstified that he Witness
ed the operation performed on George r
Warning. the man who died. He said the
victim died from shock and hemorrhage.
INQUIRY
Into the death of Mr.. Warning, this testi.
'nony was given to cover technical legal
points.
A Passengers Testimony.
James c. Plant. chief computer of the
supervising architects office of the Treas
ury Department. was the next witness. the
only passenger on the car called at the
hearing. He stated that the car was
crowded. and having been in the habit OF
counting the number of passengers ON
cars on the road he could estimate accu-
rately. and he testified that there were at
least SO people and possibly 100 people on
the car when the crash came. About 40
We're standing in the aisle. he testified.
Mr.. Warning was standing directly in front
Of him at the front door of the car when
the collision occurred. Mr.. Plant said he
saw Immediately afterward that Mr. War
ring was fatally injured. The car was
forty minutes late. he testified. and was
going at rapid rate of speed.
P. e. Dewey, conductor on the car which