Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-11-22
HELD As WRECKER
Heavy Bail Demanded for
Italian Track Walker.
TUNNEL CASE HEARING
Witnesses Tell of Finding 0bstruc-
tions on Rails.
WAS WATCHED BY DETECTIVES
Accused Man Only Person in Tun-
mel at the Time According to Wit
nesses-Alleged Confession.


Dominica Falasco. the italian charged
with having twice tried to wreck trains
in the Union Station tunnel was held
in $4,000 bail for the grand jury by
afternoon, and in the absence of bonds
men was remanded to jail. The de-
cision Of the court was the result of a
preliminary examination, in which n
number of witnesses were put on the
stand, the last being the Italian police
man Oriani, who testified that Falasco
had confessed to him the morning of
November II that he placed the OBJ
structions on the track of the tunnel
found there October 10. Oriani's testi-
mony clinched the matter, and Assist
ant United States Attorney Given i'm
mediately asked that the case be left
to the grand jury and demanded bonds
amounting to $4,000 on both charges.
Falasco took the proceedings Of the
form sof the Terminal Company. for
which he was a trackwalker at the
Union station, he listened to the testi-
mony against him with an impassive ex-
preston on his face. Occasionally, how
ever, his face lighted up at reply given
by the witnesses, and he glanced quickly
at his attorney, James B. Archer. When
the hearing was concluded he walked
back to the prisoners box without a
word to any one.
Two charges were brought against
Falasco, one of attempting to wreck a
train October 10, when iron bolts were
found fastened to the track in the tunnel,
and the other of making a similar at
tempt November II, when an iron brake
shoe was found bound to the rail of the
track in the tunnel two hundred yards
from it's south end. The technical charge
is violating section S46 of the code deal
ing with attempts to wreck trains.
Found Bolts on Rails.
The first witness called was Charles H
Spencer, the civil engineer in charge OF
the Union station. Mr.. Spencer testified
that he had been notified November II
that brake shoe had been found bound
to the track 200 yards in the tunnel from
the south end of the tunnel north bound.
and that he found this to be the case. He
also testified that bolts had been found
bound to the track i'm the tunnel October
10. that Falasco, the track walker, had
talked of these bolts i'm way that
reused the suspicious of the officials, and
that a most careful watch had been kept
by means of detectives since that time.
Mr.. Spencer testified that the shoe at
tached to the rail November II would
have wrecked train beyond a doubt. He
also declared that 1t had been impossible
for any one to enter the tunnel at the
time the brake was supposed to have
been placed on the track except Falasco.
Charles w. Ward, fan tender in the
tunnel, confirmed the testimony given by
Mr.. Spencer. He was followed on the
stand by Charles Gormon of Wilmington,
inspector of police for the Pennsylvania
railroad. Mr.. Gormon told of placing
Falasco under surveillance and of watch
ing his movements November I6 and II.
He said that early the morning of No
vember II he followed F,alasco through
the tunnel. starting about 3:57. and that
he found the obstacle firmly wired to the
track after Falasco had left the tunnel.
He testified that he had gone through
the. tunnel at midnight and that there
had been no obstruction on the track
then He also testified that about twenty
minutes before the track walker had en-
tered the tunnel a light engine had run
through the tunnel and met no obstruc-
ton. He said that he Immediately re-
moved the shoe and caused the arrest of
Falasco.
r. F.. Lane, the engineer i'm charge of
the tunnel shortly before Falasco entered
the tunnel, testified that he had passed
through the tunnel with the engine at
3:36. He said that had the shoe been fas-
through his engine would undoubtedly
have been derailed.
Only Man in Tunnel.
James A. Quinn, a detective who was
stationed at the north end of the tunnel
as fan tender the night of November
Is and the morning of November II.
declared that the track walker Falasco
was the only man who had entered the
tunnel that night and that no one
else cONld have walked into the
tunnel without his seeing him. Richard
Samuel Kirby, another detective who
was on duty at the south end of the
tunnel, testified that no one had entered
the tunnel walking from his end EXCEPT
German and Falasco. 1t was brought
out from these witnesses that there
were no manholes in the tunnel throur oh
which a person might have entered.
Policeman Oriani testified that he had
been called to the sixth precinct station
about o'clock to act as interpreter for
an italian Who could not speak English
well. He said that he had found Falasco
there, and that he could speak English
fairly well. He told of Falasco's confess
sion of having placed the iron bolts on
the track October 10. He said that
Falasce had declared he was drunk at
the time. FalascO, said Oriani, declared
that he was now disgraced and he
might as well tell about it. But Falasco
declared that he did not have anything
to do with the brake shoe which was