Norwich bulletin., 1916-10-10

pelled to stop for any reason. He mo- eiced that not a single signal beCweeH Kingston and Westerly went back to danger. When he arrived in New York he read on the newspaper bulletin
 boards of the wreck at Bradford It was indelibly fixed in his mind what he had observed. He wrote his views to the president of the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad. and at his own expense came on from Chi cago to be Q witness in this case. He never saw or knew MT. Mansfield.
 This gentleman came to Westerly Monday of last week, but was obliged to return Thursday, when his deposit tion was taken in regular form, and with the attorneys for the state present, the testimony being taken down by Mrs. Pryor, the court stenographer.
 MT. Fitzgerald closed his remarks to the jury by saying: ''We will show you that the signals are not infallible; that the towermen can do tricks with signals, and that they can be worked
 by kicking the gravity box, and we have witness who knows it can be done, for he has done it himself''
 Dennis E. Flavin was the first wit-
 ness called and testified that he re- sided in Bridgeport and is employed in munition plant. He was a towerman on the New York, New Haven and Hartford railroad in the Attleboro sec ton and at West Mansfield He served as towernan for five years He was discharged by Chief Despatcher Miller. At the towers where he worked the lock and block system prevailed He had lost the unlock hy a train passing station signal and going on siding. It Is possible for an operator to get an unlock, other than in the regular way, that is without plugging and getting in communication with the other tow erman that is supposed to give the l unlock, by a kick at the gravity box | (Here the attorneys for the state 1 objected to this line of testimony un- 1 less it could be shown that the gravity | boxes in the tower where witness l served. at Attleboro, were the same as
 at Bradford. Mir Fitzgerald argued | that MT. Morrison had testified that 1t would be impossible to get an unlock | except in the regular way and that l all gravity boxes on the system were | the same. A short recess was taken | to give the court stenographer oppor- | tunity to look up the evidence of MT
 Morrison, who is in charge of the rail-
 road signal system. Then came an-
 other recess for dinner.)
 | When court reconvened in the af- l ternoon, the stenooTapher read from | the records that MT. Anderson testi
 fled that all gravity boxes were the l oc1ALlC HI GiI1 lOWSIS. Attorney Pn1lllDS
 stated this did not cover the point, as | MT. Anderson's duty did not call him 1 to Attleboro. The stenographer then read from the testimony of Mr. Nor
 rlson, which showed that it was not possible to get an unlock by a "Ixick
 or jar of the gravity box. He had | tested boxes of tS4e same design as that at Bradford, and he contended | that these gravity boxes could not be
 irregularly worked, and that they
 were of the same general design. He l said the gravity boxes at Wood River ] and Bradford could not be released
 and secure an unlock MT. Phillips 1 argued that there was no evidence to | show that the gravity boxes at Attic
 boro and Bradofrd are of the same
 design and similarly fastened.
 MT. Fitzgerald contended that Mr. | Morrison testified that a gravity box
 could not be operated in the manner described and that all gravity boxes | were of the same general design and
 are securely attached to prevent vii 1 bration. The state contended that 1t | must be proven that the gravity boxes
 at Bradford and Wood River and at
 Attleboro are the same, before the | witness be permitted to testify what l he did at Attleboro.
 Attorney Fitzgerald then asked in | open court that the witness, MT. Mansfield, and the attorneys for the | defence be permitted to inspect the | boxes at the towers in Bradford and | Wood River and wanted that inspec- l tion to be made forthwith. MT. Phil
 lips said the state would not object | if the proposition was favorable to 1 the railroad company, as the tower | houses were in private property. Judge | Rathbun said such an inspection could
 not be made without prior arrange
 ment with the railroad company.
 | In answer to queries of Mir. Fitz- | gerald, the witness said he was not i familiar with the interior of the gray ity box, but he had 8 key to the gray ! ity boxes and the cabinets as well. | Attorney Phillips again objected es l there had been change in the locks | since the witness was discharged. MT ] itzcc -tnE EnI l,n1 q