The Washington times., 1907-12-20
CONTRADICTS STORY
WRECK DEFENDANTS
TOLD Of SIGNALS
Operator Says One
Green Light Showed
at Silver Springs.

Flauy cOntradicting Defendants Hide
brand, Honmeler, and Rutter on several
points, John c. Austin and William
Dutrow proved the star witnesses with
rebuttal testimony in the Terra Gotta
wreck case before Justice Stafford to-
day.
Ii was testified by the accused engf-
neer, conductor and hagman that
clearance card was obtained at Boyds
Station, Nd, and that train 2l2O was
travelling at a rate of four or ive miles
an hour at that station. Austin. the
operator at Boyds, said the train was
going at q rate of thirty-fiVe miles an
hour. and that no clearance card was
meier.
II had the cards for both" said
Austin, but the train wa s going too fast
for the men to get them. Some one
was standing on the engine and grabbed
az the card, but missed II and il flew
10 the ground. Some one reached out
of a window to get the conductors card,
but missed IL and that too, few to the
ground"
Operator William Dutrow. OF Silver
Springs, against whom il is alleged that
the crews OF passenger train 66 and extra
ZEO COnspired and tried TO blame for the
wreck, testified that there was no
double green signal displayed at Silver
TWO green lights could have been shown
was for him TO climb a ladder and place
second light near the one green one
already in place. He denied that he
climbed the ladder and put UP the sec
Ond green light.
Lanterns on the Table.
After putting up the one green light
which should have been shown" said
Dutrow L had another green light,
and a red and a white lantern on the
table IN my station. When I2O and CO
passed my station these three lights
were still on the table. and two green
lights could not have been IN the tar
get"
This testimony was cOrroborated by
Witness TrunGell. an aged man. who
says he was in the station when both
rains passed and saw the lights on the
table.
Engineer Hiidebrand and Conductor
HoTmeier were recalled this morning
and questioned on some immaterial
points. The defense closed at IO.l5
O'Clock and rebuttal testimony was at
once taken up by District Attorney
Baker.
Operator Dutrow told OF his expert
cnce as an operator Of the block system
lie was asked regarding the Signal
shown when 2l20 passed his office, and
said that he had thrown the lever that
displayed a white light. and that he
saw from where he was standing that il
was white.
In order to show a double greea, wit
ness stated that he would have been
compelled TO throw the lever correctly
and also hang a green lantern on The
arm of the target. Both Dutrow and
Irundle, who was in the Office with the
operator. stated that the only green
lantern supposed to be in the office was
under the operators table when 2l2O
went by. All Of the defendants testi-
ned yesterday that a double green had
been displayed.
Detective Examined.
Detective Parham was asked concern
ing statements which were made 70 him
Immediately after the wreck bv the
defendants while they were at No. 10
police station. UTtder direct exauina-
tion he identified the questions put to
the men and the answers received by
himself and other members Of the force
Upon denomination, however, st
developed that he had examined copies
Of the questions and answers Just before
coming into court. and that ne would
not have been able to have remembered
In view Of this circumstance his tgsti-
mony was stricken out.
It Is expected that the rebuttal for the
Government will be finished this after
noon, and that the case will be turned
over to the jury the first thing tomorrow
morning.