The sun., 1918-11-03
HYLAN QUERIES
WRECK VICTIMS:
THREE ARRESTS
Wounded Women in HOspi-
tai Tell of Terrific Speed
and Awful Scenes,
DEATH LIST DROPS TO 80
Brooklyn Prosecutor Promises
to Indict B. r. T. Officials
il Evidence Warrants.

Mayor Hylan, who frequently has
scored the management, methods and
service of the Brooklyn Rapid Tran
sit Company, took personal charge
yesterday of the investigation de-
signed to fix responsibility for Friday
nights wreck on the Brighton Beach
line, in which, according to revised
figures, eighty-nine persons were
killed and more than 100 seriously
hurt.
At . o'clock p. NJ. tomorrow the
Mayor. sitting as Magistrate in the
Kings County Court House, will be-
gin series of John Doe hearings. To
these hearings the Brooklyn District
Attorney, the Public Service Commits
sion and the police will contribute the
result of their own inquiries.
Hostilities between Mayor Hylan and.
the Public Service Commission were
hotly renewed because Of the wreck and
the Mayors course regarding 1t. Com
missioner Travis Fl. Whitney accused
the Mayor OF taking immediate per-
sonal and political advantage Of a dis
aster that means death and life long
sadness TO others" He cited the record
TO prove that while Mr.. Hylan was
County Judge he rallied publicly y-aessnst
the b. r. T. but gave verdicts In Its
favor He also said that Judge Hylan
was in the habit OF asking the e. X. I.
for Jobs for his friends.
Three Arrests for Homicide.
Thus far there have been three ar
rests, the charge in each case being
homicide. The prisoners are Anthony
Edward Lewis Of 100 Thirty-fourth
street, Brooklyn, the young and In
experienced motorman who admits
that he drove the train to ruin at the
rate of thirty miles an hour down the
curving track that leads to the NAL
bone street tunnel, but pleads in miu-
cation that the airbrakes did not
work; Samuel Rossof. Of 1925 West
Fifth street, guard on the train. and
the conductor, Michael Turner of 22os
Bedford avenue.
Magistrate Macgulre sent Lewis and
Rossof to the Raymond street jail with
out bail. Turner, who was injured in
he smash, is unable to leave his home.
A second guard. whose name was Wen-
berg, was killed.
There seems to be no question In
the minds of the. investigators that
the calamity was directly caused by the
inexpertness and recklessness OF Mo-
torman Lewis, who according to one OF
the many passengers that have told OF
the frightful speed of the train around
the dangerous curve Traced the caI
Just like he was running an automobile
But in the opinion of the Mayor and
others the more important matter to
be determined is how this important
train happened to be at the mercy OF
a green man. who put him there. whc
Was primarily responsible for it
Old Wooden Cars an Issue.
District Attorney Lewis Of Brooklyn
also is trying to find out from th'
Public Service Commission II the b, II
r. violated any order in using wooder
cars at least twenty-five years old
The whole train was wooden. The twe
cars worst splIntered were relics from
the distant past when the Brooklyn
Union Elevated Company was the pride
of Kings county.
These were yesterdays leading de
veIopments:
Mayor Hylan, explaining that public
necessity demanded 1t, went to the Sny
der avenue police court and sitting al
a Magistrate arranged for the hearings
ia begin tomorrow and received al
information" charging John Doe ant
Richard Roe with manslaughter
The Mayor then went to the King
County Hospital and after swift CLAN
1t the scene in the morgue went through
the wards with a stenographer besid
him and questioned injured survivor
about what they had seen ana expe
rience6.
Earlier In the day the Mayor direotet
Police Commissioner Enright to plac
policemen al every terminal and not T.
permit a train to move unless II wa
operated by a man OF at least thre
months experience. He also wrote tw'
letters. One OF them asked Alfred 4
Smith, President of the Board OF Alder
men. to have an ordinance passed for
bidding the use OF inexperienced moto
men on subway and elevated lines.
Mayor Writes District Attorney.
InSthe other letter, addressed 70 Dis
trjct Attoney Lewis. the Mayor said
The horrible catastrophe OF last nigh
caves but one thing to he done, II seem
o me, and that Is to vigorously prose
ate the officials who are responsible
Continued on Tenth Pogo.