The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1913-09-16
new HAVEN Is HELD
.BLAMELESS BY MIX
Warrants Out for Engineer
Miller, Brakeman Murray
and Conductor Adams.
ROAD CHANGES SYSTEM
Two Grand Divisions, East and
West Of New London,
Established.

Nav HAVEN. Sept. Is 5--Responsibiiity
for the North Haven wreck on September
.. in which twenty -one persons were
killed. is placed entirely upon the en-
ployees Of the two trains that collided and
the railroad company is not held to blame
for faulty signal systems or lax methods
in the finding Of Coroner Ell Mix. which
was made public tonight
The finding holds Augustus b. Miller.
engineer on tho White Mountain ExpresA
and Bruce c. Adams. conductor. and
Charles Henry Murray, brakeman. Of
the Bar Harbor express. criminally re-
sponsible for the accident.
Miller was arrested OH a bench war
rant and arraigned before Judge Edwin
Il. eager. at a special session of the Grim
inal Superior Court OH a charge Of man.
slaughter. His case was continued to the
regular October term and he was released
on a bond OF $1,000. Murray Ii still held
under Coroners warrant. under a 5000
bond. Adams the conductor. has not
vet been taken into custody. Bench war
rants have been issued.
Coroner Mix states that Rufus W.
Wands. engineer on the Bar Harbor EN-
press. was also guilty Of gross negligence
In running by banjo signal %. but he
says:
Il find that this negligence was an
incident rather than the proximate cause
of the wreck that followed. Unless there
fore the knowledge Of the incompetence
Of his conductor. or his fiaeman or Of
both Of them and Of the engineer OF the
train following can be brought home to
Wands by evidence Of testimony. his con-
duct cannot be held criminal for the
death Of said deceased"
The Coroner's Findimgs.
Coroner Mix fnds that the banjo signal
system on the Hartford division is safe
IL the company rules are not violated by
the men. and writes OF what he calls a
sorry record OF discipline"
1T Is apparent he says. these VIOLA
tions tthe improper tagging OF trains and
the running BY Of signals) Of the rules
have been too frequent and too numerous.
urge upon the Public Utilities Com
mission OF the State of Connecticut a
thorough investigation OF the system of
discipline of said coinpany's employees.
/ believe 1t to be d very fruitful field for
inquiry and one to which their attention
should be Immediately directed"
The Coroner absolves the company from
blame for the rule violations in the follow
ing paragraph:
II, thArelore. find that said company
has ma, conr,.n,nced the violations of
these rules, and under the conditions cN-
stlnr has endeaNored whenever said N!o-
lations were brought To their knowledSe
IN nreyenf their recurrence
The Coroner's finding on this matter
comes rirn, on ton Of statements made by
Co,.r.i N,,ager e L. Bardo at the in.
y.s,,ya,ion NJ tho stamford wreck TO the
&C. ,ha, tho r,,d c,,ld not xe; COM
n.,sr, ,r., and could not prorerly control
10. ..,,,,o,...s hac,use of tho Interference
~ ,,o ,,ho, unions
coroner Mix reports that from January
,a,, "a sen,.mber l. 1919. lOl cases
~ i,,nr,n.r a..pinp have been reported
IN ,h. Nv Hov.n and in these cases
.s cmnloy..s haze been discharged
and q disc,nl,nod ~, also finds that
In tho .. mo n.r,od of time l5s cases have
hs.n repor,cd ia the company of en-
yip..r. running nv signals. and that In
these "a see % men have been discharged
and ~, d,.cin,,n.d The Coroner's re-
mort savs that i, is clearly impossible
for either the compauy or himself to
an,, the exact number OF cases OF Inn
nroper aaypinr and of failure to stop
~ .iyna,. th.t have NOT been r.ported.