The Washington herald., 1908-06-09
BLAME FOR WRECK
NOT FIXED BY JURY
Annapolis Hearing AdjOurns
Until June 22.
WAITS ON MOTORMAN NOW
First Days Work by Coroner Re-
veaIs Fact TINT Crew of Regular
Car Was Not Notified by Dispatcher
of Specials Being on the Track.
Manager Explains System.
spccial to The washington Herald.

Special 20 The Washington Herald
Annapolis. June s-The jury of inquest,
with Police Justice John n. Davis acting
coroner, to-day began rs investigations
with the view Of finding the responsible
ity for the wreck on the line OF the
Washington, Baltimore and Annapolis
Electric Railway, on Friday night last.
resulting in the death Of nine persons
and injurlng a score OF others.
Although the evidence tends to show
laxity on the part Of George wadsworth.
motorman of the special car which left
Annapolis, and, in a measure. a defect
In the system OF train dispatching en-
ployed by the company, the jury ad-
journed until June p. desiring TO hear
the testimony OF Wadsworth. who was
too i'll to be here to-day.
The prime object OF the jury. as indi-
Gated by questions put. was to get at the
root Of the orders given TO the crew of
the train out of Annapolis on the night
of the fatal collision.
Rules and regulations governing the
running OF cars and duties Of the motor
men and conductors were explained in a
general way by Vice President and Cen
eral Manager Shanahan.
Dispatches Gives Order.
1t was testified that the order from the
dispatcher at the junction for the de-
parture of the extra eer from Annapolis
was that it should report at Best Gate.
about four miles outside Of Annapolis.
That order meant that the car should
have taken siding at Camp Parole, two
and half miles from the city. so as TO
clear the regular car from Baltimore. ."
The clearing OF another car. Mr.. Shana-
han explained. meant that IN this IN
stance the extra car should have been IN
the switch at Camp Parole at least five
minutes before the regular car passed
and have waited at least ten or twelve
minutes before communicating with the
dispatcher for additional orders.
The point that has caused adverse COM
ment is that the train dispatcher did not
advise the crew of the regular car that
the extra was coming
II was believed by many that had the
dispatcher done this the wreck would
have been avoided because the mOtorman
would not have run his car at the high
speed Of sixty miles an hour 10 make up
the lost time. but would have exercised
greater precautiOn.
who Compose Jury.
The jury impaneled TO make the inves-
tigation and fx the responsibility for the
accident is made Up OF the following
members, all of whom are residents OF
Annapolis: Harry T. Levely (foreman),
Charles E. Werntz. John G. Woefel.
Frank Small. John P. BeaIl. Robert c.
Br ldy, John /. Beall. J. Philip Guienot.
George Davis. Frank Stlnchcomb Charles
w. Kerr, and J. W. Kalmey.
They were impaneled and sworn in
last Saturday. and then they visited the
different undertaking establishments and
viewed the bodies OF the victims. This
morning there were no preliminaries TO
be got through with. and the investlga-
ton was soon under way.
n. II. Green, States attorney for Anne
Arundel County, conducted the examina-
ton OF the witnesses for the State.
though many Of the jurors had questions
20 ask on their own account
To Take Cases Separately.
The railway company was represented
by Carroll T. Bond. of the law firm Of
Marbury & Gosnell. general attorneys
for the road. Frank II. CHM. OF Cleve-
land Ohio. one of the directors and
heaviest stockholders in the company.
was also present. The coroner stated
before beginning the hearing in making
the investigation the cases Of each per-
son killed would be dealt with separate
~, but the evidence taken in one case
would be used in all.
The first Of the cases taken up was
that growing out Of the death Of Mrs.
Mary a. Green. the young woman who
was killed in her bail gown as she was
on her way 20 attend the final ball at the
Naval Academy. and whose body was not
identified for nearly day.
The first witness called was J. y. Shan
ahan. vice president and general man
ager of the road.