Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1920-09-08
QUIZ IS BEGUN
INTO COLLISION
ON |NTERURBAN
LINE ON MONDAY
Five Eye Witnesses of the
Collision, and Father of a
Girl Who Was Hurt, Are
On Coroner'S Jury.
WITNESSES PUT BLAME
ON OUTGOING CAR CREW
Wreck Has Cost the Lives Of
II PerSonSi 101 Injured,
Several of Whom Are Not
Expected To Recover,

tsY MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wlREl
Denver, Colo, Sept T,--Five eye
witnesses of the collision yesterday
between two Denver and interur-
ban railroad ears and the father
of a girl who was injured in the
crash were chosen as members OF a
coroner's jury today to investigate
the wreck which already has cost
twelve lives, Several others of the
l01 injuried are expected to die.
The jury was impanelled by Cor
oner r. G. Jones of Adams county,
where the accident occurred. The
members of the jury are:
l. b. Crabb. farmer, whose
daughter was injured in the wreck.
William Gee, bookkeeper.
G.. Phicster, meat cutter.
Bert Flanders, chemist.
Robert Coursey, farmer.
Harry Coursoy, department fore
man in meat packing pant.
Three Witnesses Heard.
Three witnesses, all of whom
placed the blsme on the crew of
the outbound special car, were ex-
amined today and the hearing then
was adjourned till Thursday after
noon to permit depositions to be
taken from Conductor #. w.
Schulze and Motorman l.. C. Cripps
of the special. Both Sehulze and
Cripps are confined to their homes
in Denver by injuries. received
when they jumped from their car
just before the collision.
w. II. Obland. station agent for
the Denver and Interurban rail-
road at Globeville, near where the
wreck occurred, was the first wit
ness called by the coroner, He said
that Schulze asked him for time
table but he didn't give him any
because he had none. He said a
me table would have shown
Schulze that the regular was due
in Globeville at the time the spe-
cial was pulling out. He said that
he did not know the special was
leaving the station until after II
had gone.
Motorman Tells His Story.
Albert l.. stevens. motorman of
the regular inbound ear. who es-
capped with slight injuries when he
Jumped Just before the collision,
was the next W tness.
1--WE were coming around the
curve when | saw the other car
coming toward us about 200 or $50
feet away" he testified. II applied
the emergency brakes and dropped
sand and tried to stop the car be
fore [ Jumped. The car was pretty
well crowded and when the acci-
dent occurred | was about eight
minutes late
He said his car was trave'ing
about thirty-fVe miles an hour
around the curve and the other
probably was making about fifteen
miles an hour.
He declared his orders made no
mention of any special running
but he said this was customary as
the special cars were expected to
look out for the regulars.
He testified he had been en-
ployed on the Colorado and South
ern railroad for fourteen years and
on the Denver and 1nterurban
three years.
Receiver Is Examined.
w. II. Edmonds, receiver for the
Denver and Interurban company,
was the other witness examined.
"The order allowed special 15S
(the special car in the wreck)
rights over extra 703 between
Louisville and Marshall. 1t did not
give the special any rights over the
regular train. 1t was the duty of
the special trains crew to see that
the line was clear before going
ahead. The conductor of the soe-
cial train should have had time
card. They had no right on the
track until the regular train they
were running against had arrived. "
Special Investigator William C.
Reid, representing the state public
utilities commission, attended the
hearing to secure information to
enable the commission to fix re-
sponsibility for the wreck.