Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-21
WESTERLY CASE GOES TO JURY
Trial Engineer Charles H. Mansfield Reaching its Close
 Judge Rathbuns Charge Finished at COS, Friday Even ng-Crowds Inspect Fire Ruins at Watch Hil-EIow
 the Blaze Was Kept from Spreading.

to getting King back to work Both King and Paterson came to New Lon don. He called King into his office | first and after a while, he received
 card from Patterson asking that he ] might see MT. King and he was ad- m1tted. He said he had nothing to say to MT. King that he would not say in the open and did not object td Mr. Paterson's presence. The wit | ness talked over the evidence of Fire
 man King and the fireman reiterated his testimony that the distant signal
 was green and persisted in it.
 To MT. FitzeeraId-The distant sig
 nal is an advance indication of the position Of the signals to the engineer
 green distant signal advances clear block and permits proceed, to go right along at speed as it indicates a
 clear way. The distant signal surely
 indicates the position of the other sig
 nals. and an engineer would be justi
 fled in coming up to the home signal
 as soon as physical conditions permit
 ted, come to a stop if the home sig
 nal is against him. After passing the
 distant signal and the weather so
 dense that he could not see the home
 signal a stop should be made, but of
 observed as train gets to the signal, the engineer is permitted to continue at speed. The distant signal at eau tlon requires a slow down, but when at green the train is to go along. as the block is clear, but he must ob- serve the other signals in advance. Witness was now assistant to superin- tendent of transportation, but not with division superintendent
 Mr. LitchfieId admitted that a train passing distant signal at clear could continue on to the speed to the home signal, and if then that signal was at
 danger the train would be then stopped as soon as possible.
 Charles H. MotseII, superintendent of the New London division, successor of MT. Litchfield, succeeded him on the witness stand. He has been superin- tendent since July 10. The rule which
 relates to foggy weather is in effect whether there is 9 distant signal or not. The distant signal indicates the condition of the other signals. He never qualified or instructed Engineer Shaughnessy or Mansfield. The distant signal at caution means to slow and look for danger, and is not different or changed by weather conditions. After
 passing a distant signal and an en- gineer gets the home signal, when at it.
 he would be all right 10 stop as soon thereafter as possible, even if he went
 by the signal. MT. Motsell said he
 came to court upon request of Nr Phillips, the request being received by
 telephone, but he was not sure whether by MT. Phillips of the railroad legal department or the MT. Phillips who was conducting the prosecution in this case.
 The state rested
 After a brief recess at the concIu-
 sion of the argument by Mir Phillips,
 Judge Rathbun made his charge to the jury, by reading from the indictment
 against MT. Mansfield He explained the significance of manslaughter. the
 killing by negligence. It is a criminal case and the accused is presumed to
 be guilty until proven innocent, and
 the accused is not required to prove
 his innocence, but it is for the state
 to prove guilt beyonda reasonable
 doubt The state does not desire to convict an innocent person, nor to punish for punishments sake, but it is necessary that tie laws should be observed strictly. The testimony
 should influence the verdict. He asked the jury to give to MT. Mansfield
 square deal and the same to the state
 of Rhode Island.
 At sos the case was given to the
 jury and that body retired for delib-
 eration.
 of the jury returns a verdict before 2:SO o'clock this morning it will be printed on Page One of this issue.)
 Thousands visited Watch Hill Friday to View the ruins of the fire of the night before, and stood in wonderment at the completeness of the destruction The New Watch Hill, the Columbia and the Colonial hotels and the Hast ings and Bush cottages were not ex- actly burned to ashes, but it is not believed there is over ten carloads of woodwork in the five ruins. These were old wooden buildings, as are all the buildings in Bay street, the com mercial section of the resort, where all the stores and garages are located. The sparks fell in showers on these build | 1ngs and in some instances the paint was blistered by the heat. It was here | where the firemen took their final stand and fought the fire back to a l finish.
 There are always criticisms regard l ing fires in the town of Westerly, and | some confusion by the village fire de- | partments being confined to fire dis 1 trlctS. and a general feeling that a l village department is equipped for | service within the district. and not without. The Watch Hill fire is quot i ed as an instance. Very valuable property that helps to swell the grand list of the town of Westerly was burn | ing, or endangered, and the single fire l company in the Watch Hill fire dis 1 trict was not equal to the emergency. | A call for aid was sent to the West 1 erly fire district and motor driven l hose wagon respondtd or as Watch = l have been rendered if the hose were sent dow min Charley Buffers coal truck" The other motor chemical and
 hose wagon, the hook and ladder truck and two steam fire engines remained in the firehouses of the Westerly fire district.
 Then assistance was requested from the Pawcatuck fire district, just across the river, and the Peleg S. Barber Hose company responded with their White motor chemical and hose wag- l on. On the run down there was tire
 trouble, as pneumatic tires are used on that machine, as are on the motor apparatus of the Westerly department After the fire had been in progress nearly two hours a call was made for the American-LaF'rance pumping ma | chine of the Hoxie company. Mystic, and the auto record run from Mystic to Watch Hill was made. Then the Narragansett hotel was about to break l out in flames and the whole of Bay street was endangered. Up to this
 time there had been lack of water 1 pressure and the streams were not