The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1915-08-11
FUNERAL PLANS
MADE BY erwin
FOUND IN DESK
Engineers Body Will Be
Brought to Richmond for
f; Burial on Request Made
Years Ago.
FOE FIXED SWITCH

William H. Erwin. engineer Of the
ill-fated Pennsylvania railroad train
who was killed in q wreck near II.
vington, Monday night, will be buried
In Richmond Thursday morning with
a brief service at the cemetery, the
body being taken directly there from
the train.
william z. Henness, the fireman
! who was also killed, will be buried
tonight.
Railroad omcials advance two
theories as q possible solution to the
mystery surrounding the wreck. One
is that the lock may have been broken
and the switch turned by some former
employe OF the road for revenge, or,
as suggested by Mrs. Erwin, it may
have been done by someone who was
jealous OF Erwin.
Evidence Shows Malice.
More evidence obtained yesterday
convinced the authorities that the
wreck was caused by a hend. The
battered switch lock and the iron bar
that was found near it were convinc.
ing proof that some one forced the
lock open and threw the switch so
that the train would run into the
siding.
Erwin was prepared for death and
had made all his own funeral arrange.
ments In anticipation Of that event.
Among the effects found in his desk
after his tragic death Monday night,
when he was buried under debris at
his post in the engine cab with his
hand still grasping the throttle. was
a paper. dated 1910, describing in
every detail, just how he wished his
funeral conducted, whom he wished
to act as pail bearers and where he
should be buried. Nothing was over
locked, and nothing was forgotten.
Instructions In Desk.
Monday night. when the black cloud
Of tragedy suddenly enveloped the
cheerful little home on North Ran.
dolph street, indianapolis, no one
thought, for time, to look in Erwin s
desk. It was only when his married
daughter, Mrs. William Craft Of Rich
mond and her husband, arrived in
answer to a long-distance telephone
message, and the funeral was being
discussed, that Mrs. Erwin, out of her
daze of grief, suddenly remembered
instructions that her husband had
left. He had told her often that in
case of accident or sudden death to
himself, she was to carry out the plans
left In a paper in his desk Mrs. Err
win never dreamed Of harm coming
to her husband. He had been in the
service of the road SO long and was
known as such careful engineman
that it seemed impossible that any
accident could overtake him. She
never even had asked him to abandon
the road.
Some one went to the desk and got
the paper. There was everything all
neatly written out. Members Of the
Brotherhood OF Railway Trainmen
were to have charge of the funeral;
the pallbearers were to be from among
his friends in Division 1, of the Penn
sylvania division; there was to be a
short service at the house, then the
body was to be brought to his old
homo in Richmond and was to be
buried in the cemetery here.
These plans will be carried out ex.
actly The service will be held at
the house this afternoon and at 7:45
o'clock tomorrow morning the body
will be brought to Richmond, and
taken directly to the cemetery from
the station.