The Detroit times., 1909-12-31
SPENCER TRAsK IS
GR0UND TO DEATH
IN WRECK
New York Banker Victim Of Rear.
End Collision Between Freight
and Express on New
York Central Road.
Freight Fails To Sec Block Signals
and Strikes Passenger With
Terrific Force.

NEW YORK. Dec. 31.--Spencer
Trask. millionaire New York banker
head Of the great private banking
house Of Spencer Trask q Co.. was
instantly killed at 8 O'Clock this morn
ing when the Montreal Express, on
the New York Central, standing on
the main line at Croton, "a miles from
New York. was run down by south
bound freight train. Two Negro por-
tiers. James K. Bell. and Scipio Jack
son, were injured and taken 70 . hos
pital In Ossining.
Mr.. Trask occupied the drawing
room on the rear sleeper OF the Mon
treaI Express. into which the hsavy
freight engine ploughsd. He was In
stantly killed.
Oficials OF the road are making q
thorough investigation. but are In
clined TO blame the Drew Of the freight
train. which struck the express train
while the latter was standing still
The Montreal express consisted Of
/, one baggage car. two day coaches and
nve sleepers. II runs over the Della
ware & Hudson line to Troy and
from that city runs over the tracks OF
the New York Central.
The train was stopped at Croton,
which Is not a stopping place. by the
block signal which warned II that
there was train In the block ahead.
The southbound freight, In charge
Of Engineer Flanagan and Conductor
Ghufeh. was following the express.
For some unknown reason the freight
failed to see the block signals and
a. 30 In f ~ nv
terrific force.
The heavy engine ploughed It's way
over and through the last of the Pull
mans. Trask. who was returning TO
New York from his country place at
Saratoga. was in the drawing room at
the very end of the Pullman. The
heavy engine made kindling wool OF
the drawing room. and Trask was I'M
SANITY killed. !.
Word Of Trask's death was tsle-
1900 "a hissaGn14 Hho&a&y Nav Kork-
CentfSY -ofncials who 4EaaeA Ahatc tn
body would be cared 6or until u was
decided where TO take X 81
Spencer Trask was born In New
York on Sept. IS. 1874. He graduated
from Princeton and Immediately en-.
tered the banking business In Wsn
street. He was interested In the Edi-
son electrical enterprises and his hrm
has been very prominent IN the street
for several years. He was q director
and president of the Broadway Realty
Co. and president and director Of the
Lake George Real Estate Co.. besides
being heavily interested In many cor
porations. Trask was member OF
the Metropolitan. Union League, City.
Reform. National Arts and Lawyers
clubs.
This afternoon Engineer Eugene
Flanagan and his fireman, of the
freight crew. were arrested at the or
der Of the coroner of West Chester
county. until the wreck can be thor
oughly Investigated.
Brakeman Ritter, Of the passenger
train. came to New York on the ex-
press. but Il IL said. he too, will be
arrested. As soon as the express
stopped, II IL said. Ritter was ordered
10 TO back and nag the approaching
freirht az q precautionary. measure.
Ritter, It In said, did go back. but how
far he went or how long he remained
cannot be determined, 4
Oficials of the New York Central
announced this afternoon that they
had made careful tests Of the auto
matte block signal and found II was
vorkinx perfectly. The weather. too.
was clear, and the signals must nave
t.zor ae<sn