The Washington herald., 1907-12-17
PASSED RED LIGHT
New Testimony Heard in the
Terra Gotta Wreck Trial.
THREE WITNESSES
AGREE
Declare that Equipment Grain
Thundered by Signal at High Rate
of Speed on the Night OF the Dis
aster-GOvernment Expected to
Complete Its Case To-day.

That red light was displayed at
Takoma on the night Of December 30
last when engine No. 2l2O and train of
empty coaches thundered by at a speed
of fifty miles an hour. was the testimony
given yesterday by Milton w Phillips,
the operator at that station, and corrobor-
| ated by two witnesses. in the trial Of
Engineer Hildebrand, Conductor Hof-
meier. Fireman McClelland, and Brake
man Rutter. on the Indictment which
charges them with manslaughter In con-
! nection with the death of the forty-three
/ persons caused by the equipment train
running into the Frederick local at Terra
Gotta.
The witnesses who corroborated Athe
operator were Policeman John p. Ken
nedy and Henry E. Page. a telegraph
operator who was in the telegraph sta
| tion when the train dashed by, William
Dutrow. the telegraph operator at Silver
| Springs. the first block station west of
Takoma. was also a witness, testifying
as to the time the Frederick local passed
his block. and the time the equipment
train passed.
Government Closes Case.
The government will. in all probability.
finish its case by the time adjournment
is taken for the usual noon recess to-day,
when Attorney Henry Z. Davis viii make
| the opening statement for the defense.
Attorney Davis opening statement as TO
what the defense will attempt 20 prove
is awaited with considerable interest
| His statement to the court on Thurs
day that the time Of day the equipment
train reached Silver Springs. and the
! lengthy cross-examination he has sub
! jected witnesses 10 who testified as to the
speed of engine No. 2l2O, is taken to
mean that the defense will rely largely
on the fact that Takoma was dead
station when engine No. 212O approached
H. The defense. it is thought. will at
tempt TO show that the system I'm vogue
on the Metropolitan branch at that time
Of closing certain block stations at $50 p.
m. is what is responsible for the wreck.
The first witness was William Dutrow,
the operator AT Silver Springs on the
/ night OF December 80 He testified that
train So. the Frederick local. passed at
! 6.2l. and the engine No 2l20 at 6:2S the
time noted on the trainmaSter's sheet
on cross-sxamination by Attorney Da
Wis. the operator stated that he had been
employed at Silver Springs about three
or four days prior to the day Of the
wreck. Mr.. Davis devoted considerable
time to ascertaining the method by which
Dutrow fixed the time. and he stated il
was by the station clock, which, he said,
q. -
in charge in the daytime.
Showed Red Light.
The governments most important wit
ness Milton W. Phillips. the operator
at Tacoma. succeeded Dutrow on the
stand. Train No. 66 was admitted to his
block at 6:25 p. m. December 30. he said.
He said that two or three minutes after
this he received a message from the Sill
yer Springs operator that an extra had
passed Silver Springs going toward To-
koma.
Did that train reach Takoma, and if
so at what timer"
AT 6:3l."
What light was dispiayed?"
Red" replied the witness.
How fast was the extra running"
asked Assistant District Attorney Turner.
Il would say about fifty miles an hour 20
The witness said that when the train
went by he called up University station
to ascertain if Train Sc had reached there.
Train Passed Signal.
What message did you send?" Mr..
Turner asked.
4 wired. &c yet? which meant If Train
Sc had arrived"
What reply did you get?"
N. y which meant not yet"
The witness said that when the train
passed mis- lever controlling the signals
was normal. which meant red light.
and he stepped outside to see if a red
light was displayed, and found that 1t
was. He said he was not alarmed at
first. and thought the train had gone by
and would return. He then returned 10
the office. he said, and again called up
University.
What message did you send?"
Il wired '212O by my red target going
like blazes.'
Attorney Davis cross-examined the wit
ness at length in regard to the mechanism
of the signal, and ELECTED the information
that he could have tied down" the tar
get by the use of a hook so that it would
show white. He also stated that II was
the fOggiest night he had ever seen.
other Witnesses Heard.
On redirect examination by Mr. Turner
Operator Phillips said that he did not
always close the Office at $50. the regular
closing time. Il kept open later some
tines" he said. ION orders from the train
master, or when there was a train in the
block"
Policeman John p. Kennedy was the
next witness. He testified that on the
night of December 80 last, he was stand
ing on the platform on the Takoma sta
ton when Train Sc left there. A short
time afterWard. he said he heard another
train blowing for the station, and this
train reached there and passed at a high
rate of speed
What signal was displayed?"
Red" replied the policeman.
Henry L. Page, the operator. who was
in the telegraph Office when the train
passed. was next called to the stand He
testified that he was at the station when
train No. 66 passed. and also when 2l2C
passed, and that about FIVE minutes
elapsed between their time of passage
. Fund for Mine Sufferers,