New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1916-08-01
Lighterage Concerns
Head Puts Blame On
Lehigh Valley.
WOULD PREVENT
ANOTHER BLAST
Two Railroad Presidents
To Be Arrested on Man
slaughter Charge.

a CnaTSe lNdL the uIe anu tAP4VS'NHS
Sunday morning on Black Tom Penin-
sula, with their resultant havoc and
loss of life, were caused by plot TO
prevent shipment of the huge quanti-
ties Of munitions 10 the Allies was def
nitely indicated yesterday in state
ment made by Theodore B. Johnson,
president Of the Johnson Lighterage
and Towing Company. He is ole OF
the trio against whom manslaughter
charges have been preferred in conse-
quence of the disaster.
Fires don't start on box cars OF
their own accord or by accident" said
Johnson. There have been numerous
previous fires of incendiary origin IN
the Lehigh Valley yards. We have in
sidious enemies who want nothing bet
ter than TO prevent the shipment Of
munitions to the Allies.
Says Sparks Set Barge Afire.
"My understanding is that the fre
started on two Lehigh Valley frelght
cars loaded with ammunition. IL
spread to the nearby storehouses, ana
the Johnson Barge No. "a, on which 1t
is sought to place the blame for the
disaster, caught fire from the sparks"
While every firm and railroad cor
poration which so far has been accused
of any responsibility fo'- the S25,Ooo'-
600 destruction about Black Tom was
busily engaged yesterday IN shifting the
blame 20 some one else, Hudson County
officials planned a concer ed investiga-
ton by city, state and Feteral authorl-
ties which will fix the Guilt beyond
doubt and will make similar disaster
impossible.
Government to Enter Case.
4 preliminary investigation has re-
suited in the arrest of three men and
the issuance of a warrant for a fourth.
Yesterday the authorities Of Jersey
City and Hudson County and members
of the Interstate Commerce Commis-
sion. the latter in an Independent ca
pacity. were represented in the inquiry.
To-day the government will enter the
case more actively through the De-
partment of Justice.
Roger B. Wood, Assistant United
States Attorney in New York, and An,
drew ] Steeiman, Assistant United
states Attorney in New Jersey, VIII
,ri+b Prosecutor Robert 5. Hudspeth OF
Hudson County and other county anu
city officials. - ~. roi,road
Yards in Jersey City was begun las'
night with view Of prosecuting o.
ficIals of every railroad wnieh HaS
been permitting large quantities GI
high explosives TO stand IN us !aIuS
for an unreasonable length OF tiihe'
Two railroad presidents T.. B.
Thomas. of the Lehigh Valley, and W.
G. Besler, of the Central Railroad OF
Now Jersey-are TO be charged with
manslaughter, in connection with the
explosion, Frank Hague, Director OF
Public Safety in Jersey City, asserted
late last night. He expects the war
rants TO be issued to-day or to-mor-
row.
Other arrests of railroad presidents
arc expected to follow. Besides the
Iebigh and the Jersey Central, the
Pennsylvania, Lackawanna, Erie, west
shore and Baltimore & Ohio are all
mourning daily loads of Ammunition INTO
Hudson County, according 10 Prosecu-
tor Hudspeth.
Promises More Arrests.
Johnson. head of the lighterage
nw DU,.'rT hearing his name, surren-
dered himself 10 the authorities yes
.orSey afternoon. Bail of $4,000 was
s.,rniShed sviu by the National Surety
Cnmnanv He lives at l56 Seventy
ColiP ~. Street BROOKLYN. Alexander
n"vidson. 233 Stegman Street, Jersey
C;tv superintendent Of the National
0ocps and Storage Company piers, ana
Alert NJ. Dickman, of Jersey Clty'
AGENT at the Black Tom piers OF the
Jobnson Lighterage and Towing com
Donv were arrested Sunday night.
They also furnished bail.
The fourth warrant was for Edmund
7. Mckenzie, of Flainheld, president OF
the National Docks and storage Coin-
panv. As in the other cases, ne was
charged with manslaughter. his ar
rest is expected thls l'oiNi"e'
Statements Conflict.
With conflicting statements arising
t-o,, everv interested source, the in
yestigation did not get far yesterday.
The Lehigh Valley has a witness IN
iobn %y Julian, 12I Grant Avenue, Jersey
CITY, in charge of the Lehigh valley aa1,
fire patrol, who reported 1 to saH tne com. com.
pany officials that he s'oou Jvo ."1T Vn
5f from and watched the craft burn before
-, re- "pH pier had caught FIRE; 1t IS the the
cIoim iJ poi Of the Lehich Valley that the
S,@'"t Srn originated aboard the barge and
ure Ivos communicated by it to the piers
Johnson's version, as related 20
Prosecutor Hudspeth, was III eGInpv; ps,;
contradiction. He asserted an '"'e''
Cont,nued on page 8. column