The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1909-06-24


there seems to he a popular demand
that the ''higher-ups" OF the railroad
company be brought to account. The
fatal collision near Chesterton, while
plunging the families OF many
those VINO were returning from the
automobile races ht Crown Point,
into grief, has aroused others TO al
attitude of resentment The wreck
is viewed as the elimination OF year
Of bad railway management year
that has been marked by numerous
collisions and wrecks in which num-
Der OF persons have been killed or in
jured.
Prosecutor Ready to Act.
District Attorney Charles r. Burk-
hart OF Porter county, declared today
that he intended to use the full power
OF his office in an effort to ascertain
the extent OF the criminal liability OF
the officers of the railroad and as
serted that If he could find any legal
justification for such a course he
would convene the grand jury OF Por-
ter county and ask that the higher OF
ficials of the road be indicted
The inquest will be begun at o.
clock tomorrow, and Coroner J, c.
Carson stated that the investigation
viii be thorough. No official of the
road, no matter how high his position
said the coroner, would be shielded
or whitewashed if the evidence tend
ed to show any degree of guilt
There seems to be no excuse for
this frightful loss of human life," SAID
District Attorney Burkfart Wrecks
and collisions on this road have been
altogether too numerous TO be con-
sistent with good management and ]
intend to learn just where the re-
sponsibilty lies. We are told that a
motorman disobeyed orders The
same plea IS made in every railroad
wreck, and while it may be true
enough, the people have the right to
know If the higher officials OF the
road are not biameable because OF
the negligent system of operation
that they permit ON their lines.
Corner Carson is just as eager to
extend the scope OF the inquiry as
District Attorney Burkhart, but he is
not so sanguine OF the probability
that the county officials will be able
to secure evidence that would war
rant criminal prosecution.
Il have visited the scene OF the
wreck and have interviewed number
OF witnesses" sad the coroner, land
it appears at the outset that the crew
OF the west-bound train was respon-
sible for the fatal colliion. | am told
that they were ordered to wait on !
siding for the eastIbound train, and
ignored their orders"
HUI Wallace, general manager oil
the Chicago, Lake Shore and South
Bend Railroad, on whose line the two
big electric cars collided head-on, dill
fers from Coroner Carson in his YER
sion OF the accident. According to
Mr. Wallace, the wreck was due to
the disObedience OF orders by Motor
man George "A. Reed of the east
bound car,wlho was killed.
Crowd Throngs Morgue.
In preparation for the inquest Cor
oner Carson visited the morgue OF
]. B. Dundberg early in the morning
and viewed the ten terribly mangled
bodies of the men who were killed in
the wreck. The morgue was throng-
ed with curious men and women
throughout the day. One by one the
bodies prepared by the undertaken
were laid in plain wooden boxes, and
then shipped away on trains to the
towns in which the victims had lived
The relatives of some of the victims
travelled many miles to claim the re-
MAINS, and the scenes at the morgue
as the Borrowing men and women
booked for the first time upon the
crushed and broken bodies, moved the
crowd OF sight-seers to tears. Nearly
every train which, moved out OF Ches-
terton during the day carried one or
more bodies and the same trains were
met at other Indiana towns by rela-
tives and friends of the dead men.
List of Dead
A list of the dead is as follows:
Reed, George A, motorman, Mich
igan City, Ind. formerly of Villa
Grove, I'll.
Merriman, Ray F., South Bend, Ind
Johnson, Charles, Porter, Ind
Gilbentson, Edward. Porter, Ind.
Barber, A., Mislfawaka, Ind.
Moore, f. T., residence unknown.
Leon, William, secretary of the
Dowagiac Motor Works, Dowagiac,
Mich.
Lake, f. A, president Dowagiac
Motor Works. Dowagiac, Mich.
Hutson, H. H., Niles Mich.
Swanton, Charles, Porter, Ind
Forty-one were Injured, many seri-
ously, and some fatally.
Running at High Speed.
The eastbound car, at the time Of
the accident, running as train No. SO
1t Is stated, was going at the rate of
80 miles an hour, to make up lost
time When the crash occurred, the
east-bound car was telescoped and al
most entirely wrecked In this. train
were all of the killed and most of the
injured, passengers on train No. IS