Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1911-04-17
Engineer and Conductor
Of Train Which
Killed Three.
CORONER INVESTIGATING
ELIZABETH FATALITY
Autopsy to Be Performed on
Victims of Easter
Special.
special to the Newark Star. J

ELIZABETH. April 1.-THE sequel
to the Jersey Central railroad disaster
in this city last night, when two vom-
en- and a man were killed by an ex-
press train, came quickly today when
Engineer William F. Hartman and
Conductor George Van Note were ar
rested on the charge of manslaughter.
r They were later paroled. The engineer
says that he was orly obeying signals
when he ran at full speed into the
throng of Elizabeth people streaming
across the tracks in front of the sta
tion on their way to the accommodation
train. His train was an Easter
special and was carrying hundreds OF
wealthy men and women back to their
homes here and IL New York from
week-ends at Southern Jersey resorts.
Meanwhile the coroner's physician is
deaths of Mrs. Hannah Cosgrove, of
Bedford, NJ j.; Mrs. Ann Eliza Stone,
of Esiverhead. and Edward S. Saunders,
the baggageman of the accommodation,
who gave up his life in futile effort
to save theirs.
The bodies of all three victims are in
the morgue here and will remain until
after the autopsy The testimony of
more than half hundred passengers
who saw the tragedy agrees that the
special hurled past the accommodation
at such tremendous rate of speed that
it threw Its dctims bodies over the
heads of the crowd and against the
station wall.
Says He Stopped Train.
The engineer OF the Easter flyer de-
elares that he stopped his train 500
yards beyond the scene of the disaster.
Passengers say that he did not stop
until some of them who had seeen the
accident from the windows pulled the
bell-cord more than mile from the
scene
The baggagemaster was killed while
trying to get the women out Of the way
of the approaching flyer. All three
bodies were badly crushed but not so
badly that identification was impossible.
Railroad workers identified Saunders
as an employee of the Central. He
lived at Point Pleasant.
Chauncey Stewart Watson, of 552
First avenue, son-in-law of Mrs. Cos
grove, whom the two women were pay
ing an Easter visit. made the identi-
fication at Engeps morgue. Later in
the evening Christopher ]. Cosgrove. of
21 South Reid street, identified Mrs.
Cosgrove as his mother and Mrs. Stone
as his grandmother. They had been
visiting at the Watson home and left
there about $3.50 to go to the station.
Harry Mount, 16 years old, the nephew
of Mr.. Watson, accompanied them, but
returned to his uncle's home before the
catastrophe. According to the police
tffere were no other persons at the sta
tion at the time, although scores of
persons who had visitors from various
points who left about the hour of the
accident called at the morgue, fearing
that their relatives or friends were
among the dead
No Gateman Duty.
The accident brought thousands to
the scene and ii Voc iost impossible
for the morg s to get the bod
les. Policeni ~ and Hulsenbeck
had to use to keep back the
crowd. Thef <sss ruch indignation
and many mutter.' the crossing
is known to h ,orst of the
thirteen which ru,f TIN yabeth-
port. There. is no gatehouse >re and
the gateman is on duty in ID :. 1t
is impossible tor him to see al Auth-
bound train before 1t is stopped / the
station. his view being entirely cut Off.
The bodies were taken to the morgue
at IL o'clock and or Jwds of the curioua
tried to see the bocies. Morguekeeper
Engle notified County Physician West
colt.
The two women had spent most of
the evening with Mr.. Watson and had
called on Mr.. Cosgrove early in the
day. Mr.. Cosgroye was told of the
accident by Watson. Mrs. Stone, he
said, had been married the second time.
Mrs, Cosgrove was a widow. Mrs. Cos
grove is survived by one son, Christo-
pher ]. Cosgroye, and two daughters,
Mrs. Watson and Mrs. Mount, of Sandy
Hook The trolley lines on Elizabeth
avenue were blocked for more than an
hour because of the accident.
Both trains continued on their way.
the Lakewood Express making no stop
except at Elizabethport 1t has trail
of accidents in its record which is ia
miliar to everyone in Elizabeth.
The grade crossing where last nights s
accident happened is probably the
worst along the road branch division
in this city. Many accidents have oc-
cured in the past At the last meeting
VT the City Council resolution calling
on the city attorney to prepare an ordi-
nance limiting the speed of trains
passing through this city to six miles
IA hour was passed.