The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-12-11

The motorman and conductor OF the
local Ninth avenue elevated train which
crashed into the rear OF an express train
at the lleth street station early Wednes-
day lelening. killing two persons and seri-
ously injurng eighteen others, were ar
rested late yesterday and held by the
Coroner In $500 bail each at the request
OF the District Attorneys office.
The charge is manslaughtcr In the sec
ond degree, which implies criminal negli-
geilce on their part AS responsible for the
collision, They are Thomas Mcmahon
of l31 Edgecombe avenue. the motorman.
and Alvin i. Rolfs of 1908 Eighth avenu".
the conductor 10th went TO the Tombs
last night.
The arrests were made after whole
day of Investigations to fix the blame fo'
the accident. Assistant District Attor-
neEs Murphy and Brt ckcnridge. who were
1T the scene shortly after .he crash Frank
Hodley. vicc-president and general man
ager of the marlborough Company; the
Public Service Commission Coroner Pat
rick Riordan and the fire marshal all
inquired into the affair and had the prln
cipals before them.
Motorman IN Fourth Car.
The findings agreed in ;he general con-
ciusion that he rules Of the road had
been grossly violated IN the operation OF
the local train all the way uptown md
That the motorman, who was operating
his train from ;he fourth car. either failed
to get a signal from the conductor who
was supposed TO be on the front end of
the local for that purpose, or else failed
to act on the signal that was given.
Mcmahon, the motormdu. con,eudcd in
his statements TO he investigator that
he had difficulty with the control appa-
rltt no 1,
after ne left South Ferry. about > 30
O'Clock. The mp.og in the third car OF
tn tram did not work properly either, Il
being the second nearest TO the front, o
that he MAS forced TO run his train from
the moor box In the fourth car.
by leaning out of the window. McMa-
hon said, he got signals to proceed and
stop 10y the conductor, Rolfs. who was
supposed by the cpmparys rules To- such
circumstances to signal from the from,
platform OF the train but IN this Instance
stood on the rear platform OF the first
car Rolfe was using red flag abou. the
size of a handkerchief such as every
employee Of tn. company carries in his
hip pocket, but Mcmahon says he got no
signal from the conductor that the eN-
press was So close ahead
Personal Element. says NcJIey.
Mr.. Hcdley admitted that he was con-
ironttd with the personal element con-
tributing To- the Caus. of the accident
The rules prescribe, he said shat under
tho circumstances RuIis aud Nc Manon
should have discharged enough passengers
10 run night. At that hour. too, after
. O'Clock and at this season. Rolls should
have used lantern to signal instead OF
"a flag. Mr.. Hedley explained. and should
have stood on the front end of his train.
Lanterns lighted for such emergencies
are kept on every station platform Added
TO these alleged infract.ous of the running
rules. the Pubic Service Commissions in
vestigation. mad by Electrical Engineer
Clinton W. Wilder. failed to reveal any
cause for the troubles experienced by the
motorman.
The use of wooden cars on the elevated
roads OF the city was prom nently brought
out in the days Investigations, but both