The sun., 1918-12-11
MAY ARREST
B. .R.T.OFFTCTALS
Warrants Are Prepared and
Now Await Action of Mayor,
as Magistrate.
GRAND JURY ACTION NEAR
180 Witnesses Heard in Wreck
Inquiry-Twenty More
Will Be Called.
GRAND JURY ACTION NEAR

Warrants for the arrest of three
high officials of the Brooklyn Rapid
Transit Company were prepared last
night, and Mayor Hylan, sitting as a
magistrate, is expected to order their
service at noon to-day. The three
men are charged with being RESPONSE
BILE for the conditions resulting in the
fatal wreck on the Brighton line No
vember /.
Two or three additional warrants
may be issued. The Kings county
Grand Jury. which also has been in.
vestigating the wreck, will meet at
$3.50 O'Clock this morning, an hour
ahead OF the usual time.
In the event the warrants now pre-
pared are issued to-day the officials
named will appear before Mayor
Hylan. II they demand a hearing on
the charges they will be held in bail.
A magistrate will then consider
whether the charges are we'll founded.
If he feels they are he will hold the
men for the action OF the Grand Jury.
May Finish Inquiry This week.
But should the Grand Jury which is
now busily engaged in an investiga-
ton Of the conditions surrounding the
wreck return indictments of the self
same men the magistrates hearing will
come to 4 speedy conclusion. The
Grand Jury is rapidly completing its
labors and may return its findings at
the end OF this week or next Monday.
It is now forty-one days since the
five car train guided by Motornan
Luciano struck the reverse" curve at
the entrance to the Malbone street
tunnel and crashed to a tangled heap.
Almost 100 persons lost their lives.
The accident was one of the worst
New York city ever experienced.
The John Doc investigation was be-
gun by the Mayor in conjunction with
District Attorney Lewia on the follow
ing day, November 2, when the dead
and injured were still lying in Brook
lyn hospitals. 1t was the determine
ton of the authorities 10 ascertain
whether negligence was n cause OF the
wreck.
Among the many witnesses called
were T. s. Williams, president of the
B. r. T.; Nicholas F. Brady, chairman
of the B. +. T. directors, and other I'M
portant officials Of the company. John
j. Dempsey. vice-president and trans
portation manager of the New York
Consolidated Railroad, which runs the
Brighton line did not testify.
VIII Demand Heavy Bail
Should officials for whom warrants
are issued demand a hearing District
Attorney Lewis will strenuously op-
pose light bail The code apparently
limits bail in a situation such as this
affecting railroad employees to $1,000.
Mr. Lewis will contend that this does
not apply to the present case and that
Corporation officers are no better than
truck drivers" He intends to have
the provision Of the code repealed
anyway.
Meanwhile the Grand Jury is stead
lily digging into a mass of testimony
laid before it by stream OF witnesses.
Among those who testified yesterday
were Public Service Commissioners c.
Il. Hubbell and c. S. Hervey. 1t is
thought they were called to tell of the
session held by B. 4. T. and union off,
Gals in the Public Service Commission
offices the night Of the wreck. At the
conclusion of the long conference the
B. r. T. agreed to take back the
twenty-nine rejected motormen and
the strike was called off
The scope of the Grand Jury has
been much broader than that of the
John Doe investigation. Many Grand
Jury witnesses have not appeared at
all in the proceedings just closed be-
fore the Mayor. The Grand Jury thus
far has heard 1870 witnesses and will
have heard $50 by the time it con-
cludes its sessions.
C. ID. Meneely and j. II. Bennington,
B. r. T. officials; ]. Il. Walker, secre-
tary Of the Public Service Commission, /,
and some of the commissions en-
ployees. will be called to-day.