Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-03
TRIAL RESUMED AT WESTERLY
Monday Taken Up With Testimony of Repaman George L. Anderson Minute Evidence Concerning Sig nal Has More Poisoning Gases, This Time From Cooked Ham, aassa

who made the blue print in the tower, | and he did not know of any other be- | ing in existence except the one at the tower, until this trial was commenc- ! ed. He knew the blue print in the | tower was correct and it was kept | locked up in "our cupboard" in rail road property, a part of the signal de- partment, and is distinct for the towerman's department. The witness said he had key to the cupboard that held the blue print, and he could open cupboards In other towers. Wit ness never too care of the West erly tower, for there is a maintainer at Westerly. The signals in Wester- ly block are semi they are of different type than those at Bradford but are worked the same The signal cable enters the tower at about fifteen feet from the entrance
 door, and below the floor of the oper- ator and the wires are distributed to different sources, The current is from cells in the tower. set of bat
 teries at the distant signal operated that signal tower At this point the court took a recess.
 SionaI Repairman Anderson resumed his testimony at the opening of the
 afternoon session, and the cross exam nation was resumed by MT. Fftzger- ald He said he had no talk in re- lation to signals during the recess, but had a talk with foreman signalman. F!e had talk with him about signals but not in relation to this case. The batteries that control the distant sig nal are in a locked box in the ground The lock is a standard and i witness had a key, but he did not know whether other signal maintainers 1 had keys to like boses along the line. The electric lock at the signal is in a gravity box at the signal that IS mechanically operated. He did not know a gravity box could be released only in the regulated way. An oper- ator cannot get an unlock without the electrical current The unlock, is what | releases the starter and the theory of the signal system is that this must be done before the signals can be set at clear. An unlock can be lost through carelessness of the towerman. by but ting against the slide, or thinking there was an unlock that had been used
 l An unlock could not be lost except through carelessness. Under that condition two trains might be in tEc same block. C'arding, of train means the signals are out Of orderror thEoESil he towernan'S negligence. The tow eIman has to give reason for card-ng the train. and that card is to be deliv- cred at the next tower. It is not phy sicaily impossible for one train to go into a block while another train is in the same block, provided the signals are ignored. It is not physically i'm possible to card a train through a block while another train is therein, but it should not be done by a tower man. The weight of the blade on a signal post Eolds itself down and a magnet holds ii up.
 An unlock is given or requested be- tween Wood River and Bradford by a line wire by contact in the cabinet in the tower and signals and levers at normal. That train which had left Wood River bound to Bradford and two bonded rails length distant could be between the two places and an un- lock called for The towerman has no access to the telegraph instruments or other apparatus aside from the lev CTS. Should the telegraph instrument get out of order the towerman could not make repair. It would take but very little to break the contact, bridge a circuit or water would have the same effect under certain conditions. - The gravity box is on the distant signal
 pole and witness had a key to the same. He did not know whether the inspector checked mp his work, nor did he know whether the inspector had a key to the gravity box. The lock to
 this box is opened by key that fits other receptacles to equipment.
 The gravity box could be operated so as to get an unlock. All of gravity
 boxes are of same design, and blank space in top that were formerly GOV
 cred with isinglass, but this space is now covered with metal. It is easy to substitute metal for isinglass and could be done readily by a man who had a key to the gravity box. A per son could get an advance clear with out an unlock were the gravity box manipulated. The work of the wit London and Providence. To operate the switch at Bradford to track it is not necessary that first home be at normal, as it has no connection with
 the switch. but the distant and sec ond home signal and the levers must be at normal. Witness testified he did not believe a gravity box could be picked without leaving evidence that it had been picked.
 At 4.30 court adjourned to 10.30 Tuesday morning.
 Following the wood alcohol poison ing cases that gave Westerly a place on the map, and caused several deaths, and followed in due time by the alleged pie poisoning cases. with
 more deaths, claimed to have emanat- cd from a restaurant on the bridge,
 but never clearly proven, and which
 tended continuation of unfavorable prominence, comes more wholesale
 poisoning cases. But this time the poison is directly traceable to cooked fresh ham purchased in a delicatessen store in Pawcatuck, not far from the
 bridge. The claim is made that the
 infected meat was sold at retail in
 the same condition that it was pur-
 chased at wholesale, and that if this
 meat has caused the ptomaine or metallic poisoning the fault is not
 with the local store. The whole mat ter will be investigated by Dr. c. F.
 Congdon, health officer for the town Of Stonington.
 The persons poisoned by eating of
 this cooked meat are MT. and Mrs.
 Clarence E. Taylor. Miss Mabel James, Lawrence Rock, Mrs. Annie s. James,
 John Cranda,H, Mrs. Bertha Laing, MT. and Mrs. Edwin Thompson and the elder Mrs Thompson and Miss Glenna
 Ennis. Some of the cases are quite serious. but 1t Is not believed any will
 prove fatal.
 The regular monthly meeting of the Westerly town council was held Mon