Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 99, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 5 August 1904 — FIVE TRAINMEN HELD. [ARTICLE]

FIVE TRAINMEN HELD.

Coroner’s Jury Declares Them to Blame In Doremno Wreck. Five men were declared criminally responsible for the Doremus wreck la which eighteen persons were killed and •cores Injured on July 13, one-half milo south of Glenwood, 111. This decision of the coroner’s jury was followed by the arrest of four of the accused. The fifth, Engineer Hoxie of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois freight train, le a fugitive. The verdict of the jury was the result of fire hours’ deliberation. Besides charging the employes with criminal carelessness, the jury censured the railway company for using antiquated passenger cars and for working its trainmen too long. Freed of its legal verbiage, the verdict of the jury reads: “From the testimony presented we believe the passenger coaches used were in an old and dilapidated condition and not fit to carry passengers. “We censure the officials of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad Company for using such coaches, and believe that if modern, strong cars had been used a number of lives would have been saved. “And we find that the freight employes of the railroad company are worked too many hours in succession and are not able properly to perform their duties. “And we recommend that the proper authorities take steps to make laws prohibiting the working of railroad employes longer hours than they are able to perform their duty and protect tha lives of the public. “We censure the officials of the Chicago and Eastern Illinois Railroad for requiring their employes to work longer hours than they are able properly to perform their duties. “We believe that the conductor of the freight train, Frank Cooper, was criminally negligent in the performance of his duty and recommend that ha be held to the grand jury until discharged by due course of law. "And we believe Charles H. Wright, brakeman; Patrick Costello, fireman, and Frank E. Hoxey, engineer, were criminally negligent in the performance of their duty and recommend that they be held to tiie grand jury until discharged by due course of law. £ “And we believe that if Frederick O. Whiteman, train dispatcher, had given orders to the freight train at the proper time and place the collision would not have occurred. We believe he was criminally negligent and recommend that he be held to the grand jury until discharged by due course of law.”