The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1915-10-21
CONDUCTOR
COWAN ON
The STAND
Testifies to Having "Wait" Order;
Heard Whistle at Agawam and
Thought Engineer Would
Back Onto Siding

Inquiry into the cause of the Aga
wam wreck on the Rock Island Tues
day morning, and an effort to fix
the blame, was taken up before Justice
Fuller. sitting as ev-officio coroner
yesterday afternoon al o'clock.
The jury witch had been empan-
nolind and ssolai earlier in the day,
were present as was County Attorney
Venable, Assistant County Attorney
Swan, a number Of railway officials
and a number OF railway men from
the operating department
County Attorney Venable had told
Superintendent Rupert shortly after
the commencement of the hearing,
that he wanted w. b. Cowan, the con.
ductor on passenger train No. II, and
following the examination Of a number
OF trainmen Of the two trains. Nos.
il and sS. Mr. Cowan came before the
acting coroner and jury
w. b. cowan, after being sworn,
testified in part. that ne was conductor
ON train No II al the time Of the
accident: that he was riding in the Jim
Grow" coach at time Of collision; haa
left Chickasha at le.4g: was maybe
rs minutes late: had not shown orders
10 porter, nor told him oi Agawam
stop, that he heard tiie train whistle
for Agawam: that he heard the train
run over the switches, but thought ii
was passing over the north switch
when in reality II was passing over
The south switch; that he thought the
engineer was running over the north
switch 10 80 to the south end OF the
siding. which is a long one. in order
10 back In; that he felt a slight appli-
cation Of the air that he thought then
they we're going to stop; that the crash
carle: that ne was thrown TO his knees
from the seat that he rose TO his feet
and exclaimed Jesus Christ; that
he looked at his watch and 1t regis
tered i10 O'Clock; that he went out
and. with another man went TO the
front OF the train that he talked there
with the freight conductor that he
went TO hunt a telephone in order that
he might notify headquarters OF the
collision. that il was his duty to have
pulled the signal cord on the engineer
when he found he was running MS
orders that he should have signalled
him to stop. and If be III failed TO
stop that It was his duty as conductor
10 set the emergency brakes; that he
thought the whistle for the station was
acknowledgment by the engineer that
he knew he was to stop at Agawam;
that II was half a mile from south
switch to where trains came together.
someone stepped 1t off. that It was
1.l0 o'clock when he looked at his
watch. four or five minutes before his
irain was due out OF Agawam in com
pliance with the wait orders given
against Agawam that he looked at his
watch when train whistled and 1t was
then 1909 o'clock; that he looked at
his watch when the shock came and
Il was 1.10 o'clock: that he had done
his duty as understood it.
Conductor Cowan was asked as few
questions as possible by the county
attorney and others questioning the
witnesses, on account Mr.. Venable
stated, of the extreme nervous con-
dition OF the man
Preceding Mr.. Cowan's testimony
number OF witnesses had been called.
Charles venahle testified that he
was 'car knocker''; he said that he
was present performing his duties
when No. II pulled out of Chickasha
on the morning of Tuesday. October
~: that he saw three men, answering
the description OF three of the dead
men found at the wreck. board the
blind of No. IL; that he thought the
three men he saw board the blind
were the three men found dead in the
debris of The wreck.
Abe Mcqueen. testified that he was
.he porter on No Il the morning OF
the wreck, that it was the usual for
the conductor TO advise him Of any
stons. other than regular stops, which