The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-10-28
Mcdonald Has Informed His
Friends That He Is Being
Held Responsible for Care
IesSnesS of Another.
CREW OF FREIGHT 81
ARE ALL ExONERATED
Railroad Company Also Exon
crates CoIIinsvi||e Operator
Alleged Act a Most AS
founding One.

Ralph Mcdonald. 20 Richmond av
enue and front brakeman on the i'll
fated Pennsylvania freight, No. Is,
which was wrecked last Friday in a
collision with passenger train No. 1s.
resulting in the death of six men. is
held responsible, by the railroad COM
pany. for the terrible catastrophe.
Mcdonald absolutely denies to friends
that he is responsible for the wreck.
Superintendent Nettleton Neff Of
the Richmond division this morning
officially made this charge. In an in
terview with Palladium reporter Mr..
Neff said:
'The front brakeman on freight
train No. Is was responsible for the
Collinsville wreck. 1 do not care to
give his name. He is already suffer
ing the most terrible mental anguish.
This man did not positively admit his
responsibility but the evidence clearly
shows that he Is responsible.
Arrived on Time.
According to the evidence we have
gathered No. Is left Seven Mile and
pulled into the siding at Collinsville
five minutes in advance OF the time
passenger train No. 18 was due to ar
rive there. The evidence shows that
the front brakeman on No. Is got off
the train. threw the derail and then
opened the west switch of the siding,
after which he entered the station.
why he did this I can advance no
reason. It is evident that he knew
that No. 18 was due to pass No. IS
at Collinsville as it was testified in
the investigation that at Seven Mile
members Of the crew of No. Is dis
cussed as to whether the train would
have time to reach Collinsville ahead
of No. 18.
"You can state that the crew of
freight train No. 81 are absolutely
exonerated from responsibility for the
wreck. also the operator at Collins
VILE.
THE evidence shows that No. 81
pulled into the siding at Collinsville
and permitted No. "a to pass Then
No. 81 went to Somerville and went
on a siding, allowing No. Is to pass.
The crew Of No. 81 did not leave the
Collinsville siding switch OPEN"
The result Of the investigation con-
Quoted by the division officials is
most startling. Various reasons arc
advanced as to why Mcdonald acted
as he did.
The General Opinion.
1t is the general opinion that the
young man opened the switch in a |
moment of abstraction and without
thinking what he was doing. THAT |
may have been the reason-that he |
opened the switch from sheer habit |
and without thinking of the conse- |
Quences-but a railroad man is paid !!
to think. One moment of forgetful-
ness on the part of railroader often
results in such a tragedy as the Col
linsville catastrophe" remarked a
railroader today.
Tomorrow the Butler county coro.
ner will begin his investigation as
to the cause of the wreck and its re-
suit will be followed with the keen
est interest by railroad men, and the
public at large. to see whether the
verdict comedies with the
finding announced today. by Superin-
tendent Neff.
II the coroner finds that Mcdonald
Is responsible 1t Is probable that GRIM
inal action may be brought against
him In the Butler county courts. It
Is understood that the Ohio railroad
will also investigate the
wreck and take some action.
It is not known whether Mcdonald
has been discharged by tho railroad