New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1913-01-01
| AW BI AMES RAILWAY
OFFICIALS FOR WRECKS
'ThreeNewHavenMen
Held for Manslaughter
in Westport Crash.

IN WeStpOrt NraSn.
Bridgeport. Conn, Dec. Sl.-Criminal
proceedings against officials OF the New
York. New Haven & Hartford Railroad
| COMPANY for loss of life in the wreck oi
the Springfield express at Westport last
october were begun by Fairfield County
authorities to-day, when Vice PresldeL'
| Henry j. Horn, of Boston: General MAJ
ager Benjamin r. Pollock and General
Superintendent Charles n. WOODWARD
both Of New Haven, were arrested on a
bench warrant charging them with me p
| slaughter.
They are held responsible for the wreck
and loss of life because through gross
and culpable negligence" they failed To
keep the roadbed. equipment ana service
| i'm such condition as to insure the safety
! OF passengers. The specific allegation Is
] that they did kill and slay' one Jane
/ Doe" She was burned To death in the
wreckage. being pinned down by heavy
beam in such a manner that she could
/ not be rescued before death occurred.
! The three railroad officials came this
afternoon from Boston where they had
been informed last night Of the nature oil
/ the proceedings against them. They wch'
directly 10 the courthouse, accompanied
/ by counsel and were taken 10 the once
of the clerk of the Superior Court where
service was made by High Sheriff NollmG
Of the county. Bonds were fixed at $500
each. and the secority was furnished by
Nathaniel W. Bishop. of Bridgeport The
men were not called upon TO plead. No
date was set for the hearing.
Criminal Proceedings Expected.
The action Of the state attorney has
| been expected for some time. When MI
| Judson returned recently from short
! trip abroad he said that in view of the
facts brought out by the coroner's inquest
! into the wreck he would bring criminal
proceedings. In addition TO the Jane
/ Doe" count. It is charged in detail tha'
| the accident was due to the excessive
| speed at which the train was being rum
| that Messrs. Horn. Pollock and Wood
ward. as officers Of the railroad, neglected
/ 10 keep the tracks in proper condition.
! that they neglected to furnish sufficient
number Of brakemen AMI implements for
I the protection of the lives Of the passen-
| gers: that they neglected to employ care
! FIJI and competent engineers. and failed
| to provide and maintain crossOver oil
sufficient length 10 permit engines and
| trains to pass from one track 10 another
| in safety.
The train wrecked at Westport on Octo-
| her 3 was the second section Of the
! Springfield Express. bound for New York
! Besides the engine crew, 1--WE persons lost
| their liVes-Mrs James c. Brady. daugh-
| ter-in-law Of Anthony Y Brady. of Al
| bany. Mrs. r.. palmer Gayit. daughter OF
! Mr.. Brady: Miss Mary Hamilton and Mrs.
, G. :. Ransom. sisters Of Mrs. Brady. and
| Marx Wheeler. n mail clerk. The -four
passengers were caught in tho forward
parlor car and Killed and their bodies
! partly incinordtcd.
| The engineer. George l.. Clark. 1t was
| shown. did not slow up his train. running
! fifty miles an hour. TO take the cross-oveI
/ from the inner 10 the outer track. The
! inquiry by Coroner Phelan Of Fairfield
| County brought a finding that Clark was
criminally responsible for the wreck, that
/ the New Haven Company had concur
ring responsibility that the train crew
was insufficient IN numbers: that the
track equipment was poor. although not
responsible for the wreck; that steel cars
would have prevented deaths; that the
company had no stop devices. and thai
the company had paid no attention 70
recommendation OF the Coroner and IN
terstate Commerce Commission made
after the Fairfield yiaduct wreck some
months before.
Records Of Men Arrested.
H. !. Horn, named in the indictments Is
operating vice-prcsdent OF the system
| He came here about eighteen months age
from a Western road to be assistant tt
| President Mellen. Later he became vice
president and assumed charge of the OPP
| Grafton Of the road.
| Mr.. Pollock was promoted from general
SUPERINTENDENT TO general manager Of the
road on December T. At the same time
Mr.. Woodward who had been superin-
tendcnt of the New York division. was