The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-06-17

HEADLIGHT DIMMED
Brakeman Charges Witness
With Perjury Evidence
in at Noon.


+ + + + + + + I. I. 1. + 1. + + +
+ The jury at 2:3O was still in j.
+ session and will likely return +
+ a sealed verdict this afternoon. i
+ This cannot be opened until af- +
+ ter the return of Coroner Saun- +
| + ders, who went to Chiwaukum +
+ to investigate into the death of /.
+ an Italian killed there. +
+ + + + 1. + + + + + + + + + -
Investigation into Wednesday
mornings wreck was finished by
the coroner's jury at noon today for
the purpose of finding a verdict on
the cause of the death of one John
Doe, who was killed while riding
on the pilot of the engine.
The jury consists of o. S. Stocker,
A. E. Knowles, A. l.. Brown, David
Keith, R. R. Ellinwood and ]. T.
Owens.
Defining the passing track" was
the most important point before the
jury, as the responsibility for the
wreck would be shared to some ex-
tent, more or less, by the railroad
company, if the passing track in
cluded all that Brakeman Dorm
claimed it did. His contention is
that he should have been notified of
the cars that were on the track.
The railroad company admits that
the notice would have been in order
except that the cars were not ON the
passing track" but just at switch
that ended the track at Orondo av-
enue. The track continuing straight
from the passing track is known as
No. 1 and is for storage purposes.
The company would be clear of
all responsibility except that it's en-
ployes do not seem to be clear about
the limits of the passing track. Most
of them who were examined seemed
to think that it continued to the ex-
treme west switch.
M. w. Bowen, superintendent for
the Great Northern on the Spokane
to Leavenworth division, testified
that general information, including
that about the passing track here,
is posted at division headquarters
and that trainmen are under orders
to read the bulletins regularly. He
although there was no telling whe-
Their an employe had digested the
contents of a bulletin or not. The
signature of the employe meant but
little.
Considerable testimony was given
in the two hearings, of today and
Wednesday, that the trainmen were
not at all clear about the passing
track and that in some cases the
bulletins were not studied very thor
oughly, il at all.
Mr.. Bowen says that a conductor
should certainly ask a brakeman
about the train being in clear.
Says Headlight Dimmed.
Engineer Durush, of the passenger
train, states that he was not able to
see the freight train until within
about 500 feet of it, for the reason
that his electric headlight iimmed.
He states that electric lights dim oc-
casionally, for various reasons, but
insists that he prefers one to the
old coal oil kind, although in this
instance it resulted in a casualty.
He claims that everything about his
equipment was in perfect order and
that the light would not fail in such
an emergency once in 10000 times.
Conductor Geo. P. Towne, of the
passenger train, testified in favor of
the railroad company in every in
stance. He went so far as to give
his own opinion about the head
brakeman of the freight, for which
he was promptly rebuked by the
court.
He testified that when he and his
engineer walked from the wreck to
the depot they met Head Brakeman
Dorm and asked him why he did not
go forward and attend to the head
of his train. Dorn's answer, accord
ing to the conductor, was that he
did not have time to monkey with
box cars, that he wanted to feed his
face.
This statement Dorm emphatical-
ly denies, and further asserts that
he will call the conductor to an &C
counting before the grand jury for
perjury.
Conductor Towne's testimony lost
some of its force because of a GER
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