The Washington herald., 1907-01-08


answers was to discredit Hfldebrand S
/ testimony. but when asked pointblank
I II ne could produce any rule by which
Hildebrand would be compelled TO stop
al Takoma under such circumstances the
superintendent was unable to reply in the
affirmative.
Pertinent Question Asked.
BY the way" asked the coroner. on one
Of the occasions when the assistance OF
Mr.. Galloway had been solicited to clear
up a tangled point. did you not state
outside of this court that your sole in
terest in this case is TO defend the com
panys rules against insInuations to the
effect that they are insufficient and
poorly devised?"
Il did not make that statement" re-
piled Mr. Galloway.
But YOU have, have you not intimated
something to that effect?' queried the
coroner.
Il may have stated to some one that
l considered our rules good, and that
would protect them against attack IL pos
sibie" admitted Mr. Galloway.
The first witness called yesterday morn
ing was F. l.. Hewitt, postmaster at Sill
Yer Spring. lie testified that on the night
of the accident he arrived at the Silver
Spring station about 6.40. and heard Of
the accident from Operator DutrOw. Mr..
Hewitt wanted TO take a train to Rock
vile, but the wreck made the train very
late. At about 7:30 Mr. Hewitt testified.
he saw Dutrow take the green lantern
and go out 10 hang Il up on The pole, as
/ is customary after o'clock Hewitt was
not at the station until after Sc and 2l20
haG passed and therefore could not tes-
! up as 10 the kind Of lights given those
/ trims by Dutrow
HiIdebrand Is Recalled.
Engineer Hildebrand was then recalled.
/ After practically repeating his testimony
/ Of the previous session, he was closely
questioned concerning the meaning con-
veyed 70 him by the double green az
Silver Spring. He stood firmly to hts
previous statements that inasmuch as his
watch showed 6,3l when he left Silver
Spring, one minute after the closing time
of Takoma. the double green indicated
absolutely that Takoma was closed and
that he had a clear block to University.
bearing in mind the possibility that some
train might be using the CrOss-overs at
Terra Gotta and University. in which case
the train using the cross-overs would be
in duty bound TO protect itself with a
fiagman az both ends
His statements as to the average speed
Of his train-twenty or twenty-five miles
an hoUr-is borne out by the time record
of his run from Silver Spring 10 Terra
Gotta. He made it plain TO the jury that
he considered twenty-five miles an hour
cautious speed under those circum-
stances.
Fireman !. c. AIcCIeIland. of 2I25. was
called next. He testified to having seen
the double green al Silver Spring. and
IN every other point Corroborated Hide
brand.
TrumbIe Is Confused.
J. O Trumble. the aged helper and
tender Of lights at the Silver Spring
staGon. was recalled and closely ques-
toned as to what lights he saw displayed
for 65 and 2l25. He quickly became con-
fused under crOss-examinatiOn. and made
several contradictory statements. He
stated that he could see the white signal
/ from either side of the target pole, which
was shown 10 be impossible when it was
/ explained to the jury that even II the
1 light showed white on the west side, the
east side would be red unless trains were
approaching from both directions at once
/ and had clear blocks ahead
/ rs your eyesight very good?'' asked
/ the coroner.
NO, sir; very poor. said the witness.
! ". W Zepp. fagman Of the extra
/ freight 1866. that followed g21 down from
/ Tuscarora, WAS called and testified that
/ on the night Of the accident his train
stopped at Takoma on signal, and found
I r1..s
testified that Rutter said 2l20 had hit So.
and was going about fifty miles an hour
when il happened
Rutter Saw Green Lantern.
W. ". Rutter, the brakeman of 2l26.
then took the stand He could not remer-
Der making any remark Of that character
to Zepp, but was confident that 2l2O had
not been going over thirty miles an hour
when the wreck occurred. Rutter testified
that he saw the green lantern, the lower
part Of the double green signal, at Silver
Spring. his position in the car preventing
him from seeing the target itself.
Conductor Frank r HoTmeier was
called, and in a clear matter-of-fact man
ner told the story Of the trip from Cum
berland and the incident Of the lights He
[
saw the double green. He was closely
questioned regarding the rules governing
the trainmen's watches. and declared that
he had never strictly observed the rules
I'm this regard on account of the fact that
the location OF the standard clocks. with
which the watches are supposed 10 be
compared, is, he alleged, unknown 10 the
/ trainmen, and that the ordinary depot or
station clocks are invariably wrong.
When questioned as TO his knowledge Of
two or more trains being allowed 20 run
after each other in one block, Hoffmeier
produced one Of his running orders that
ordered his and two other trains 10 fol-
low one another under green" which. he
testified. meant running in the same block.
These three trains were passenger trains.
Hoffmeier was as firm as Hildebrand I'm
regard to the meaning Of the double
green. He testified that he thought
Takoma dead, but looked out anyway. as
is his custom in passing any station at
any time, and did not see any signal
there.
William Norris. baggagemaster of Zf20.
was called and corroborated the testi-
mony of the other members Of the 2l20
crew.
Fail to Shake Dutrow.
Operator Dutrow was then recalled. but
in spite OF all efforts on the part of the
inquisitors he could not be shaken from
his stand regarding the signals he dis
played for the two trains Go and 2l20.
Just before adjournment Attorney Henry
+. Davis, counsel for Hildebrand. intro
duced a new tangle to the mystery by
asking Dutrow the following question:
After the wreck. when extra 1865 came
along, did not Mr.. Feeney, a telegraph
operator, get of and come into your office.