Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-05
BODIES ROBBED,
CORONER ASSERTS
Startling Accusations in Re-
port Regarding Recent
New Haven Wreck.
WITNESSES SAY TRAINS
IGNORED DANGER SIGNAL
Interstate Commerce Commissioner
Opens Inquiry on Disaster of
Last Tuesday.


That there were wholesale and Disgrace
full robberies from dead bodies at the
railroad wreck at North Haven Tuesday
morning is declared by Coroner Mix in
report today to Chief Of Police Smith re-
questing him to apprehend the culprits.
In today's investigation before the in
terstate commerce commission three wit
nesses testified that engineers Of the New
Haven railroad frequently pass danger
signals Of the banjo type in foggy
weather without stopping.
1t was further testified that the White
Mountain express. the train which plung-
ed into the Bar Harbor express. was
barely saved from colliding with the Bar
Harbor express an hour before the North
Haven disaster. This was at a point be-
tween Springfield and Hartford, where,
according to the testimony of the en-
gineer. the White Mountain was tagged
by c. H. Murray of the Bar Harbor train
The two trains involved We're the last
Of procession OF six which that that
miles north of the wreck, within a
period Of thirty-two minutes. The
White Mountain, last of the six, was
making fifty-two miles an hour at
WallingfOrd.
An order to stop the White Noun
tain at Wallingford. which would have
prevented the wreck, was rescinded, 1t
was brought out.
Flagman Murray testified that he had
gone back to place danger signals to
til l was recalled by my engineers
whistle"
Records Called For.
At the opening Of the federal investi-
cation into Tuesdays railroad wreck
at North Haven. Commissioner Nc
Chord today called on Manager BardO
Of the New Haven road to produce the
minutes of all meetings of the New
Haven directors since the Bridgeport
wreck, July IL. 1911. These would
show. he said, what action had been
taken toward the betterment of safety
conditions"
With Engineer A. B. Miller and Flag
man C. H. Murray under arrest and
accused by Coroner Mix of criminal
responsibility for the wreck. Commits
sioner McChord began a public in
vestigation to determine the causes of
the disaster.
morning, but 1t was announced that
the necessary $4,000 bail would be fur
nished by the New Haven road today.
This was by order of President Howard
Elliott of the railroad. Engineer Miller
is at liberty under a five-thousand-
dollar bond furnished by the Brother
hood Of Locomotive Engineers
Stories Do Not Agree.
Both Miller and Murray. whose
stories as to the causes for the wreck
do not agree, it Is said, were called as
witnesses before Commissioner Nc
Chord.
The private" investigation Of the
coroner. begun yesterday and which
lasted until midnight last night. cul-
minating in the arrest of the two
trainmen, was resumed today.
The examination Of witnesses bristled
with startling passages Engineer
Wands of the Inflated Bar Harbor ex-
press brought a gasp from the crowd
when he testified that engineers on the
New Haven road frequently "drifted
by" danger signals in foggy weather.
John c. Kelly. train dispatcher, had
previously testified that weather condi-
lions on the morning Of the wreck were
very fQggy,' but that he had not con-
sidered 1t necessary to warn trains to
reduce speed. Six trains passed over
III.
he said. The White Mountain express
made the fastest time Of any Of them.
Its time sheet showing an average speed
of fifty-two miles an hour just before it
crashed into the Bar Harbor train.
Engineer Wands said that he did not
consider the banjo signals safe
method of train operation, and added
that the engineers committee had pro-
tested year ago against this system,
urging the adoption of system of dis
tant 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 fiagman who was
sent back from the Bar Harbor express,
testified that he had never been exam
ined for a fagman and had never quail
fed for that position.
Railway Employees Arrested.
August B. Miller. engineer Of the White
Mountain express. and Charles FL MUIR
ray, nagman of the Bar Harbor express,
the two trains involved in the wreck
Tuesday, were formally placed under ar
rest by Coroner Mix late last night.
charged with having "criminally caused
the death of Royal HI. Hotchkiss," one of
the victims Of the disaster. They were
both placed in $1,000 bail. under a cor
Oners warrant.
Ball for Miller was furnished by the
local Brotherhood Of Locomotive Engi-
neerS and F1remen. Murray was locked
up for the lack Of bondsman.
Both men, who had been detained by
the coroner In the county jail since the
day Of the wreck as material witnesses,
were arrested after they had given testi-
mOny at night session Of the inquest.
The pair, who, 1t Ia said. have told widely
conflicting stories as to the causes of the
accident, were examined separately.
Miller. thought gaunt and nervous. was
in a fighting mood after his release on
bail. "They have called me a scapegoat,"
he said Il am no scapegOat. l want to
say that l have nothing to fear. l am
going to clear myself. 1 have been de-
about this wreck, but don't care so long
as the truth comes out. That's all I
want"
Inspector Belnap of the interstate
commerce commission said last night that
he had been informed that Murray had
testified at the joint preliminary investi-
CATION Tuesday by the coroner, public
utilities commission and railroad ofiicials,
that he had placed the torpedoes, six or
seven telegraph poles back" q distance
from 996 to 1852 feet. Engineer Miller
testified, on the other hand, Mr.. Belnap
said, that the torpedoes were only two
poles back. or 1872 feet, when he heard
them 60 of.
'Tn either case" said the chief in
spector. 1T appears from their testimony
that the torpedoes were too near 10 give
Warnin1o