Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1916-06-23
Plot 70 WRECK
G. \ \. v. Train
EVIDENCE SHOWS CONSPIRACY
AMONG SECTION HANDS ON
NORTHWESTERN.
MIGHT HAVE RESULTED
IN MANY DEATHS
Preliminary Hearing Held at Cedar
Rapids and One Suspect Is Hold
Several Attempts to Wreck Trains
Observation-Disclosures Among Mem.
bers Of Section Gang.

Cedar Rapids, June 23.-That the at
tempt to wreck the fast Chicago q
Northwestern passenger train at LIS
bon, Thursday night, June 10, was the
result of a vendetta between a section
foreman, a discharged section hand,
and the wife of the discharged man,
seemed to be evidence from the testi-
mony heard when the case was brought
to trial in the court of Justice Nugent
Thursday morning.
Tasqual Laggonia, the man who was
arrested the day after the attempted
wreck, WAS the defendant in the case
County Attorney Linville appeared for
the state.
Attempted Wreck Week Ago.
At 1921 Thursday night as NO. IL,
a fast west-bound passenger on the
Northwestern was speeding westward
at sixty miles an hour near Lisbon, the
passengers felt sudden jar and then
the train stopped with a jerk. the
train crew rushed ahead and found
that some ties had been placed on the
track and the pilot Of the engine had
struck them, but that Engineer owen
Dousherty, of Boone, had seen the OBJ
struction in time to stop his train and
prevent serious wreck. special OF
fcers for the railroad Immediately
took up the case with the result that
Pasqual Laggonia was arrested and
search is being made for a Mrs Rose
Karbai the keeper of boarding house
at Lisbon. -a
Might Have Cost Many Lives.
In the testimony for the state heard
Thursday morning, Engineer Dough-
erty told of seeing the ties and making
an emergency stop. Conductor II. NJ.
Quick. of Clinton who had charge
the train testified that the train had
made an emergency stop and that
when he hurried ahead to learn the
trouble he found that an obstruction,
in the shape of ties on the track had
been struck and that one of the ties
had been broken and thrown some dis
lance. Both of the railroad men testi-
fed that serious wreck and loss OF
many lives might have been caused
by the placing Of these ties on the
track.
Vendetta in Section Gang.
The chief witness of the case was
Thomas Bova, the Italian section fore-
man at Lisbon. Armed with a book
which contained every event in his
life from the day he paid his help to
his social engagements Bova proved a
very interesting witness.
From his story it seems that there
is an Italian woman living in Lisbon
by the name of Mrs. Rose karbai, Jo-
seph karbai, her husband, was en-
ployed by Bova as a section hand, but
when karbai started to circulate re-
ports that his employer was neglecting
his work. Bova discharged him. This
aroused the enmity Of Mrs. Karbai
and Pasqual Laggonia. who was d
roomer and boarder at the karbai
home Letters accusing Bova of ne
glecting his work, were received By
railroad officials and altho signed by
the Lisbon station agent, they were
thought to be forgeries and the work
Of Mrs. Karbai. Bova testified that
on the morning Of the Sth of June he
found the motor car which he uses
on the track, had been taken out Of
the tool shed, placed on the main
track and had been struck by train
Of June - Bova discovered that twu
bolts had been taken out Of the rails
on the main line near Lisbon. Bova
stated that previous to Pasquars COM
ing to Lisbon he had never had any
trouble of this kind.
Boy Gives Convictins Testimony.
Samuel Cataldo, the 12-year- old son
of Mrs. Karbai by her first husband
testified that his mother had exhibited
anger over Bovas dscharging her
husband. He also said that he had
haardsLaggonia urge his mother to
help place the foreman's motor car
on the railroad tracks.
The most convincing evidence Of
fered, however, was the testimony of
the young boy who said THAT on Fri.
day morning, June 16, he had heard
Laggonia make the remark to his
mother that 1T didn't do any good for
me to put the ties on the track"
After hearing all Of the evidence on
both sides Judge Nugent decided that
Laggona should be held to the grand
jury and placed the amount of the