The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1918-06-27

Astonished newspaper reporters, IN
cludlng K. z. Kellenberger. one Of the
editors Of the Railway Age. found
themselves on the outside Of closed
session Of the public service commission
and the interstate commerce commits
sion when the joint investigation Of the
Ivanhoe horror began in room Of the
superior courthouse st Hammond this
morning.
Attorneys for the Michigan Central
railway were within the doors barred
70 the newspaper men.
Learning that they were to he ex-
cluded the newspaper men protested
that the action was unprecedented. that
the public was vitaUv interested and
that the majority OF executive sessions
resulted in white washing g"-at least
in Chica go The commissions went into
private session TO make hual decision
as TO whether the reporters would be
excluded and J. ". McCardle Of the In
diana public service commission an
nounced their finding.
Mr. McCardle stated that the commits
sions felt the public had been fairly
well informed by the press of the cir
cumstances Of the wreck and that the
public would be represented a the joint
lnEeSflEdLlon DE the ISQEIal men pres
eut He stated that the two stenograph-
ers. the TWO attorneys for the railroad
and the commissioners would be the
only ones permitted TO attend the hear
ing
After the morning session Of the in
vestigation had adjourned Commissioner
NcCardle stated that the evidence OF
the first witnesses contained nothing Of
which the public has not already been
informed by the newspaper investiga-
tions
Familton Forbes signalnan at the
Ivanboe tower; John Casper. engineer
or the circus train into which the empty
troop train crashed taking a toll of If
ty-nine lives: Curtis Aust. head brake
man OF the circus train and Thomas
Phillips. fireman of the circus train
were the witnesses before the two COM
missions this morning.
The personnel of the commissions
we're as follows: Interstate commerce
commission. W. D. Anderson, G. r
Starbird and q. L Ellis; the Indiana
public service commission: J. W Nc
Cardle. Edwin NJ. Corr and David Mat
thews The Michigan Central railroad
had Attorneys Charles McFadden and
L. Y Cravens within the cIose- c0ors.
General superintendent. Henry Schere:
Superintendent Of the Western Division.
y. W. Donahfe. superintendent Of Mo
tor Power. Walter II Flynn. and other
Michigan Central officials were in the
corridor during he session.
r " Johnson and oscar Timm, the
conductor and hagman respectively. Of
the circus train, We're called before
the commissions at the afternoon ses-
sion and received searching exam
nation. II the length Of time they
were in the barred zone was any indi-
cation.
1t was stated the commission went
into many phases Of the wreck: the
orders under which the circus train
Travelled. why the hagman OF the circus
train went ahead 70 see the hot box
before going back 10 give warning TO
approaching trans; whether there was
Z hot box or not; why the circus train
stopped before clearing the main track
and the physical condition Of the doz-
ing engineer. Alonzo Sargent
At former probes in Hammond the
public service commission has welcom-
ed the reporters and Commissioner Nc
Cardle told newspapermen today that so
far as he personally was concerned he
would prefer to have them present Dur
ing the street car hearing Mr. McCardle
was ver;- fair with the newspapers in
giving them access TO information.
Eliminating the public service COM
mission from the demand that the hear
ing be private. the suggestion must
have come from one Of three sources.
the interstate commerce commission OF
the attorneys for the Michigan Central
railroad or federal men present
f~-r--
trail railway declared they desired the
newspaperrnen present as they had
nothing to conceal and the public is
vitality concerned.