The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1913-07-01

wish it to be understood have no desire to make more difficult of defense those indicted in the Westport case or to eI1lbarrass any one in this investigation, who should not be held to responsibility in whole or in part for the Stamford wreck and its con- sequent loss of life.
 It should go without tho saying, in view of recent events, that it appears HI<e waste of time. iR the railroad is in any manner. at fault, to fail to place resDonsibiIity upon the man or men who acted as its representatives in causing the disaster.
 It is insufficient to say the Coroner has done his duty to the public when if after investigation he should con cIude that the company was at fault, to hold it responsible as a corporation without naming each of those of it or in it whose conduct shaped that re- sponsfbiIity.
 The corporation as such cannot he adequately dealt with if it should be at fault. The corporation as such acts through men in the doing o. it's btIsl- ness and in the building and main taintng of it's tracks, the procuring of employees, the erection and nainten- ance of signals, the fnfIiction of dis cipIine, the erection of bridges and of buildings, the purchase of appliances and equipment, cars, engines and in the makeup and movement of trains, etc.
 It is because of this desire to knoxv definitely what man or men be he or they in or out of the corporation, who by his or their acts, omissions or di- rections caused in whole or in part of the accident at Stamford.
 wish to know, therefore, the pow CTS they are invested with and the duties imposed upon each, that re- sponsibility for fault, if any should be found, shall be properly placed, that blame he placed on those who should be blamed and not imposed on those who are bIameIess.
 wish to know who is responsible for sending out wooden cars if steel cars were available, who it is who has authority to authorize sufficient auto smatic or other stop devices and to fix the distances between home distant or or other signals, who it is that has power to allow high speed trains, orC1i- nariIy block apart, to come within Q few feet of each other in practically the same block, who 1t is that has and WieIdS the power entruSting the lives of travellers behind engines the oper- ating of which the engine-man is not familiar. want also to know of other matters germane in these com nections. I have public duty to per form in ascertaining to the best of my ability in accordance with law, wf1eth- CT any what man men rightfuI1y deserve public censure in the prem iSes.
 have no prejudice for or against the Railroad Company or any party to the investigation and am hopeful, that no act of mine during the investiga- tfon will or can be construed to the embarrassment of those without fault
 T<U, r ney B. I. Spocl1, of the New Haven Road.
 Beginning shortly after ten o'clock the morning session of the Stamford wreck inquiry began before Coroner John J. Phelan with but a few of the expected visitors present.
 With his usual calm attention to every detail that was brought out, and closely observed by his constant companion, John H. Dillon, the engi- neer, Charles J. Doherty was present.
 Foster Worthington, the engineer, who had just taken his engine from section one of the Springfield express, and was a. witness to the catastrophe, was the first witness. He appeared frank and manly, and apparently a man of keen Judgment and discern Tnent.
 He had first heard Doherty's whis- tie, calling for brakes he knew that
 
 to stop his train, and had probably so remarked later in conversations.
 A cloud of dust had obscured his vision of the wreck after the crash.
 Asked what was improper in the conduct of an engineer who shut off his power $500 feet east of distance signal, running at 60 miles an hour and had applied two applications of air, first of 15 pounds pressure, and then of 10 pounds and then the emer- gency brakes 1900 feet east of the home signal" Worthington could find nothing to criticise and believed if Doherty had done that something must have been wrong with the brakes.
 Arthur E. Clark, secretary of the New Haven road admitted he was GUS todian of the company's records. He produced. on request bylaws of the company, authorized on May 23, 19o7