The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1915-08-30
FIFTY YEARS AGO.
VERDICT OF JURY OF INQUEST
 Housatonic Railroad NIurdersl

VERDICT OF ,JURY OF INQUEST
 Housatonfc Railroad Murdersl
 The verdict of the Jury of Inquest was rendered this morning at the fzou neil Chamber. We give 1t below, s5s well as a minority report by Messrs seeEey and stevenson Agreeably to fhe statute of this state, Coroners s 5ur1es have no power to punish or decide upon the guilt of the parties vtoes acts have caused the death of any person or persons They simply inquire into causes. The matter now passes into the hands of the States Attorney, who will decide whether there are grounds for prosecuting or not This verdict will be filed in the Superior Court We hope that officer will fulffn his duty fearlessly. and that justice will be done to the real criminals.
 THE VERDICT
 Fairfield County. ss.,
 Bridgeport August 30, 1885,.
 The undersigned Jurors, being duly ernpaneIIed and sworn to enquire of the scause and manner of the deaths
 sns. E. O. Wakenan, Mrs. Henry LambArton- Mrs Maria Thorne, Mrs. Sarah Egan, Mrs Charlotte Cable, SaznueIf Crofut, Wrn- Memmott, Thorn As O'BTien, George w. Mansfield, and Samuel B. Demming, do find said per sonsg came to their deaths on the 9th and 16th days of August, 1885, they being passengers on the HousatOnic Railroad, about four miles north of Bridgeport, in consequence of a col-' 1ision between the locomotive Fair field, and the regular morning pas senger strain from Bridgeport to Pitts fzeId-said passenger train having Eoverfa1ren a disabled freight train near Trallnbul1 Church. was backing towards Bridgeport. in connection with said. freight train at the time of collision.
 The passenger train left Bridgeport i15 minutes before Il a. m.; and the 1ocoTnotive Fairfield about 15 min ;zrtes later. The locomotive was sent ont on a trial trip by order of one l7Ar. VV1nslow, Master Mechanic of the Eousatonic Railroad. and was under khe charge of Engineer Edward R. Lyman.
 The collision occurred at a curve in The road, about 20 minutes past II b. h.
 The passenger train was in charge of one MT. H. L. Plumb, Conductor, )Fi1o was accompanied by one Charles HGrt, President and Superintendent Df the road.
 The instructions from rd- winsIow To the Engineer Lyman, were either 1sTo go a short distance up the road,'' pr ito go four or five miles" the evil
 
 The jury find among the printed re- EuIations of the Hcusatonic Railroad, with which the Master Mechanic, all Conductors and Engineers were fur nished. the foI1owing:-
 Rule @ 6-@stafion agents are re- uuired to hand the conductor of each Train memorandum of the time of Departure of the preceding train. If Erains are stopped on the road the conduetor. must always send signals }n each direction and the conductors bf trains delayed at stations on the tiTne of another train, must send sig nais to warn the approaching tra.in''
 Rule 12-zA red flag by day and . red lantern by night must always be exhibited upon an engine, when an engine other than that of a regular train is to follow and in case a regu- lar train is divided into two or more distinct trains, flags will be kept fly 1Eg upon the engines of all the trains except the last. A white flag display ed upon an engine is a signal that an extra train is soon to pass in an op- =sosite 9iroceion.''
 ssRu1e 26=In all cases of doubt take the safe side.,'
 THE JURY FIND that Regulation 12 Wns violated by Mr. Andrew Win slow Easter Mechanic. and Egvard R. Lyman. engineer. by emitting to place neE on the preceding train, they having the entire control of the en- g5ne ..FairfeId-''
 We also find that Regulation was violated by MT. Chas. Hunt Pres ident and superintendent of the road and also by MT. Henry L. Plumb Con- ductor of the passenger train. by emitting to s.send signals in each di- necuon-w when the train was stopped