Newark evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1909-1916, 1913-09-03
ENGINE DRIVER
! WAS OVERWORKED
So Declares Foster-mother of
August Miller, Pilot of
Fatal Train.

NEW HAVEN, Conn.,, Sept. IA
tired little woman with quivering lips
that tried to be brave Is awaiting In
her home at Montowese, a suburb
here, today the action of Coroner Ell
Mix, of New Haven county, who is
seeking to fix the responsibility of the
New Haven wreck. She, out of the
great crowd of high officials. mourn
ing sufferers and curious persons
alone is dreading the ultimate verdict
concerning another.
They won't put my boy in jail, will
they?" Mrs. F. A. Scott, the 10
year-old foster mother of Engineer
August Miller driver of the death
engine which crashed into the rear
asked today and concealed her an
guish when she got no reply
why, he couldn't have made a
mistake" she asserted piteously. HE
told me the front train didn't put out
signals And he never has told me a
lie" Her body Strengthened proudly.
perhaps my boy must suffer, but
II he does 1t will be because of the
managers of the road and not his
fault. If the blame is laid on him 1t
will be because he has been made to
work night and day for a whole week.
A person can't stand 1t when he isn't
allowed any rest, can he?
Grew Old in Week.
always has 1t been So Always
has the road made him do things he
ought not to do; made him work
when he was tired. made him use old
engines about to go to pieces Why,
one time he refused to run an engine
because 1t was so rickety. I asked
him last year to quit, and he wanted
to, but didn't. Yesterday / told him
that he must rest, and he laughed
and said that the road had ordered
him to work and he must obey. He
didn't get but little over an hours
sleep and l was afraid for him. Why,
he had grown old during the week.
her voice sank, but she recovered In
stantly-"and his face changed so.
They won't put him in jail?" she
a sked again. "It would kill him if
they kept him there one night. He
has never done a wrong thing. He
hasn't even had a little accident all
the ten years he has been an engi-
neer sAnd he was so proud of 1t.
"August-everybody in the neigh
borhood calls him that; everybody
loves him-came to me this morning
as soon as ne COuIus I1e hHcW WOulC
be waiting for him. And he sank
down In his big Morris chair-the one
be likes so much-and began to cry.
August isn't weak man, either. He
told me all about the accident, and
how tired he was. and how the flag
man wasn't sent back, and how they
didn't give any signal. Then he told
me what the road officials would say
and how the blame would be put on
him.
Knew He Would Be Blamed.
August and I, we knew what 1t
would be. We knew he'd be blamed.
But I Just told him to stop grieving;
that it wasn't a mans fault when an
other worked him and worked him
until the flesh dropped away from his
bones and his eyes were sunken and
oloodshot. Jesus never will put the
blood of those lost lives on my boys
head.
Perhaps I ought not to be telling
his, for he told me not to talk to any
reporters. But when l think about
them trying to put the blame on him
just can't help but tell the truth,
sven IL it does hurt the road. Let
hem discharge him if they want.
Hes my boy, andAI know whose fault
t is. But they mustn't. they mustn't"
-again her voice tremb1ed-"put him
n one of those cells"