The Birmingham age-herald., 1922-08-08
.CORONER'S VERDICT FLAMES ENGINEER.
 FOR TRAIN WRECK
Crews of Trains Testify Con- cerning Tragedy--Neither Train Received Orders
 Concerning Other

DeSoto, Mo-, August 7.-Blame for the Missouri Pacific wreck at Sulphur Springs Saturday night, which brought death to 35 persons and injury to more than a hundred, was placed on Engineer Matthew Glenn of fast passenger No. 4, by a coroner's jury today.
 The jury at first returned an open verdict, but later reversed its de- cision. stating that Glenn. who was killed when he leaped from his cab, had failed to observe signals warn ing him that the track was not clear.
 In reaching the verdict the jury heard testimony of members of the crews of both trains. which n ef- feet was that neither train re- ceived orders pertaining. to the oth- CT. Members of the crew on No. testified that no orders had bee re- ceived that No. 32 was on the track and members of No. S2 declared no orders had been received that No I was behind them. .if{
 After the first verdict was re- turned, Coroner George W. 4lders objected and the jurymen ther upon reversed themselves and returned the following verdict:
 The persons killed in the wreck came to their death through the negligence of Engineer Matthew Glenn in failure to obey signals.
 Was Heading orders
 Engineer Glenn had received or ders "on the run" to pull over on a siding at Cliff Cave, Is miles sHuth of St. Louis to allow the Sunshine Special No. to pass, and it $ be- lieved he was reading them when he passed the warning bfcck sis- nal.
 No. orders had been received com corning No 32. the testimony showed and the signals were the only means of showing that the track was not clear
 James A. Long, conductor on the local. testified he and his crew hal received no orders to take iding at sulphur Springs adding We had no idea No. was so close oenind. Long said he did not see the train approaching. but heard some one well out Here comes No. 4, ana that ehe was running to tell the engineer when the crash came,
 1t was testified that the local had not been taking on water at DeSoto for several weeks. and when asked whether this order had been issued m iconnection with the shopmen i strike. the witnesses replied that they [ did not know.
 Crash Came Quickly
 The rear-end collision occurred as 1 No. 32 was taking water at Sulphur Springs and J. Gross, engineer of No. l32 testified he stopped for water, not Knowing No. 4 was so near He said that the crash came before he had | time to put out flagman.
 l w. E. Long, fireman on No S2 and brother of Conductor Long said or | ders had been received for No. 32 to 1 take a siding at Wickes. several miles north to allow the flyer to pass J. E. Cragg of St. Louis. conductor on No. 4, testified they had received no orders concerning No. 32, and said theyshad received their last orders al Riverside. six miles north of where ithe accident occurred He added that l he was in the door of the baggage car when the crash came and he had only time to shout: Were on No. 32.' R. R. Ragland of DeSoto. sigma supervisor for the Missouri Pacific said ali of the blocks between Rive sid, and Sulphur Springs had been in. spected by him and found to be '
 <Continued on Pags Twel