Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1913-09-05
ROBBED DEAD
IN WRECK IS
CHARGED
CORONER MIX, IN The INvESTlGA-
TON OF THE new HAVEN WRECK,
FINDS THE BODIES WERE RUTH.
IESSlT LOOTED.=-MANY WIT
NESSES CALLED.
ENGINEER SAYS He
Often RAN PAST BLOCK


there were wholesale and disgraceful
robberies from dead bodies at the
railroad wreck at North Haven on
Tuesday morning, is declared by Coro-
ner Mix in a report today to Chief OF
Police Smith, requesting him to ap-
prehend the culprits
In today's investigation before the
interstate commerce commission three
witnesses testified that engineers OF
the New Haven railroad frequently
pass danger signals of the banjo
type in foggy weather without stop
ping
1t was further testified that the
White Mountain express, the train
which plunged into the Bar Habor eX-
press, was barely saved from collidng
with the Bar Harbor an hour before
the North Haven wreck at point be-
tween Springfield and Hartford.
The two trains involved were the
last of procession of six which that
morning passed Wallingford, three
miles north cf the wreck within a per
iod of 32 minutes. The White Noun
tain express was making so miles an
hour at Wallingford
A stop order for the White Mountain
express at Wallingford, which would
have prevented the wreck, was re-
scinded, it was brought out.
At the opening of the federal inves-
tigation into the railroad wreck at
New Haven, Commissioner McCord
ordered General Manager Bardo OF
the New Haven road to produce the
minutes of all meetings of the New
Haven directors since the Bridgeport
wreck on July u, 1911. They would
show, he said, what action had been
taken toward the betterment OF rail
way conditions.
The examination of witnesses brlst-
led with startling passages. Engineer
,vands of the Bar Harbor express,
brought gasp from the crowd when
he testified that engineers on the New
Haven road frequently "drifted by
danger signals in foggy weather.
John c. Kelley. train dispatcher
had previously testified that weather
conditions on the morning OF the
wreck were "very foggy" but that he
had not considered it necessary to
warn trains to reduce speed.
Six trains passed over this stretch
within half an hour, he said. The
White Mountain express made the
fastest time of any of them, its time
sheet showing an average speed OF %
miles an hour just before it crashed
into the Bar Harbor train.
"Did any of the trains have any IN
formation from you as to how close
they were together?" asked Chief In
spector Belnap, of the interstate COM
merce commission.
"No, did not think they needed it,
replied the dispatcher.
Engineer Wands said that he did not
consider the banjo signals sate
method of train operation, and added
that the engineers committee had
protested year ago against this sys-
tenn, urging the adoption of system
of distant indication He said that
a train would have to reduce speed to
ten or fifteen miles an hour in order
to be safe from running by the banjo
signals in foggy weather
Charles Murray, the flagman, who
was sent back from the Bar Harbor
express, testified that he had never
been examined for flagman and had
never qualified for that position.
Coroner Mix said today during his
inquest, witness told of men cutting
fingers off of dead passengers to get
rings, and of persons searching cloth
ing of injured passengers to secure
money or valuables.
AS soon as this testimony was given
the coroner had Chief Smith come to
him and to that official were given
some of the statements brought out, |
with descriptions given of the alleged
thieves. Shortly after four detectives
were sent out.
Engineer Miller, of the White Noun |
tain testified that be heard woman ,
eroaning and looking around he saw
man deliberately cut off her finger on |
which were several rings. He also
saw a man strip dead's woman's
hand; and afterwards he saw man
lean over an injured woman and
snatch away locket.
Other railroad men gave corrobora-
tive testimony and one Of them told
of a man who, with pillow case,
went about picking up jewelry, purses
and other articles of value. When 9th
ers saw what he was doing, the chas-
ed him across the fields, but he es-
capped.
Flagman Murray testified that he
had gone back to place danger sig
mails to protect his train, las far as
could until l was recalled by my engi-
nere's whistle
August B. Miller, engineer of the
White Mountain express, and Charles
H. Murray, fagman of the Bar Har-
Dor express. the two trains involved
in the fatal North Haven wreck on the
N. Y, N. H. & H. railroad last Tues-'