Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER VI INVESTIGATION OF THE WRECK ? VICTIMIZED BY THE COMPANY TRAINMEN INDICTED ACQUITTED DISAPPOINTMENT TOM RILEY’S SAGE ADVICE A RAILROAD AUTOCRAT ? DISCHARGED ? CHICAGO ? FIRING I Remained in hospital about a week; during which time both the coroner and the company’s lawyer took my affidavit, as to what I knew of the orders by which we were running. I knew nothing about them, but I observed that the company’s attorney appeared anxious to have me remember having heard that we were to meet and pass train 31 at Brookdale, and appeared very much disappointed when I was unable to do so. Brookdale was the last switch that we passed before the collision. It was claimed by the company, and admitted by the conductor of train 31, that their orders read meet and pass train 28 at Brookdale. Our orders should have stated the same passing- point, and the company’s witnesses all swore they did; they even produced the operator’s copy with Simmons’ signature attached, in proof. Simmons swore the signature was forged, but as it corresponded with others which they produced on former orders, this statement had but little effect. Both Simmons and the engineer swore that their orders read
Daly’s ; the flagman stated that Simmons invariably read the orders to him, asked him how he understood them, explained them if necessary, and then filed them on a hook in the caboose, where they remained open to inspection until fulfilled, when he put them in his desk, to be returned to the train- despatcher at the end of the trip; he also swore that our order read
Daly’s. The engineer said he always read his copy of all orders to the conductor, to be sure they understood them alike; he then filed them on a hook in the cab, and when the hook was full, threw them in the firebox….