The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1918-12-30
Flagman Released from Custody
and Returns to Home in
Oklahoma City; Pre-
liminary Jan. 2.
MUST FACE CHARGE
OF MANSLAUGHTER
Is Result of Inquest; Pruitt Is
Counsel Tor Defense; Story
of Wreck Brought Out
at Hearing.

Frank Higgins, charged with sec
ond degree manslaughter following
the inquest over the body of Lieut.
]. II. McLaufen, victim of the wreck
at Norge Christmas morning, made
$1,000 cash bond this afternoon and
returned to his home in Oklahoma
City His preliminary was set for
January 2 before Justice M. E. Bun
nell of this ciyt.
Moman Pruitt, Oklahoma City law
yer, has been retained as counsel
by Higgins.
Jury Returns Verdict
y I'VE, the cororer's jury, duly sum
Noned, impaneled and sworn at the
inques held in aaid cou.dv and
state, on the 26th an d2Sth days of
December, A. D., 1918, in the city
of Chickasha, Grady county, Okla
homa, before NJ. p. Bunnell coroner
OF said county, on body of Lieut..
McLauren, there lying dead.
"The said jurors upon their oaths
aforesaid, do present and find from
the evidence in said hearing that
the said j. H. McLauren was killed
in a railway accident on the st.
Louis-San Francisco railway at
Norge, in Grady county, Okla, on
the 25th day of December, 1918, and
that such wreck and accident oc-
Cured as a result of the culpable
and felonious negligence and omis-
sion of duty on the part of Frank
Higgins, the flagman in charge of
the passenger train on which said
deceased was a passenger.
In testimony whereof, the said
Jurors have hereunto set their hands
on the 2Sth day Of December, A. d.,
1918 A. B. Cochran, A. j. Puckett,
O. B. Hunter, 0. S. Penny S. D.
McGranahan, W. H. Whiddon.
Attest: M. E. Bunnel, Coroner"
This was the verdict returned by
the coroner's jury at the conclusion
of the testimony at the inquest fin
ished late Saturday evening, as a
probe into the cause of the wreck
that occurred Christmas morning at
12:4O on the Frisco at Norge. The
investigation was conducted by d.
NJ. Cavaness, county attorney, and
Nhis assistant, VIM Stacey.
Crews Testify.
Members Of both train crews were
put on the stand and from them the
story of the wreck was CLEANED,
The men composing the passenger
crew were practically unanimous in
the statement that the passenger
was there about 45 minutes before
the freight plowed into its rear end.
Conductor A. E. Lewis of the pas
senger train stated on the stand
that the reason the train stopped at
Norge was trouble with water pipe
connecting the water tank and the
engine and that because of this
trouble the steam pressure dimin-
ished to such an extent that it was
imperative that they stop.
Regarding the actions Of Flagman
Frank Higgins, Lewis stated that
when the train stopped, he and En-
gineer John Quinn were holding a
consultation at the engine and were
endeavoring to eliminate the trou
bic. \He stated that Higgins came
to the engine and that both he and
Quinn told Higgins to 90 back to
his post of duty to guard the rear
end of the passenger and that Hig
gins went. He stated that some time
later Higgins again appeared at the
engine and asked how they were
getting along and that both told him