The Detroit times., 1910-08-31
R. R. MEN don't
|. ND WRECK VICTIMS
Farmer Testifes at Inquest in Durand
That Engineer Spencer Was Only
Trainman to Give Assistance.

DURAND. Mich, Aug. 31.-(Spe-
ciaD-That practically all the rail
road men stood around and did not
attempt to aid the victims OF the
wreck on the Grand Trunk, at Duff.
field station, In which eight persons
were crushed and scalded to death
was asserted by Alexander McAfee,
farmer living half a mile north OF
Mccain crossing, today. McAfee ties.
titled before the coroner's jury which
is probing the disaster.
He said he heard a torpedo explode
and that three seconds afterward the
wreck occurred. He rushed into the
open air and, arriving at the scene
OF the wreck, he testified, he saw
Engineer Spencer OF train No. 4,
which dashed into the Pullman car,
and Mr. Alderman, a passenger,
throwing water on the fire that was
destroying the Pullman car. The
other railroad men, McAfee said, did
not offer aid. McAfee saw a woman
burning in the debris and told the
porter, but the latter said 1t was not
a human form, only to discover later
that McAfee was right.
Attorney.General Kuhn. Assistant
Acknowledgement Chase, and Commits
sioner Glasgow and Assistant Com
missioner Scully, of the state railroad
commission, were at the inquest. The
state officials paid particular atten-
ton TO McAfee's statement that the
railroad men failed to assist the
wreck victims, and questioned him
closely along this line.
The inquest began at 10 o'clock
this morning. Harrison Geer, OF De-
troit, acted as counsel for the Grand
Trunk railroad. Supt. Ehrke, Of De-
troit, was also present to look after
the railroads interests. The inquest
was In charge of Prosecuting Attor-
ney Hicks.
Fred Colwell, a newspaper reporter
of Detroit, was the first witness. He
testified that he went to the scene OF
the wreck at 10 o'clock Thursday
morning, or about eleven hours after
the disaster occurred. While walking
down the track with Supt. Ehrke, he
testified. ne picked up the clamp of
a torpedo, evidently the one that had
been placed on the track to warn
for repairs. Colwell said Ehrke told
ullH the tOIptuO Wdo hol Vi hiouSi n
type.
Bright spots on the rails, $50 feet
from the scene Of the wreck" Colwell
said, showed where Engineer Spen-
Ger had applied the brakes, after he
had been warned by the explosion of
the torpedo. The tail light of train
No. IA was beside the track and was
battered"
Colwell. too, was questioned closely
by Attorney-General Kuhn.
Whether or not the state railroad
commission will conduct private ex-
animation of the employees and inves-
tigate further into the details Of the
wreck will be determined by the re-
suit of the inquest.
Chairman G. l.. Glasgow stated that
the states legal department will take
the examination out OF the hands of
Prosecuting Attorney Hicks II he fails
to probe into the matter as deeply as
he should.
James Byce, the mechanical expert
of the state railroad commission was
ordered to report at Durand, Wednes-
day morning. to make drawing OF
the tracks. the exact location OF the
wreck and the position on the rails
where the torpedo Is said to have
been placed. Since ii was announced
that the state railroad commission
would take a hand in the investiga-
ton, Chairman c. l.. Glasgow has re-
ceived .any letters urging him to go
to the bottom Of things in his investi-
cation.
One writer declared that Conductor
Lacy and Brakeman Graham, of train
No. IA, were intoxicated the night Of
the accident The state has many
good witnesses and a thorough inyes-
tigation Is assured