. Baltimore and Ohio employees magazine . ^Ir. Jones, the assistant yardmaster,he continued, was one of the witnessesof the tragedy,and he told meat the time thathe was aston-ished that theboy did notjump from thetrack when hesaw the loco-motive, for hehad plenty oftime to do once, butmany times be-fore, I haveseen just sucha condition ofthe leg and footas exists in thecase at hand,and it wasalways foundthat the vic-tims foot hadbeen caught inan unblockedswitch one instancethe foreman, bywhose negli-gence that condition arose, was sentencedto several years of penal servitude. A
. Baltimore and Ohio employees magazine . ^Ir. Jones, the assistant yardmaster,he continued, was one of the witnessesof the tragedy,and he told meat the time thathe was aston-ished that theboy did notjump from thetrack when hesaw the loco-motive, for hehad plenty oftime to do once, butmany times be-fore, I haveseen just sucha condition ofthe leg and footas exists in thecase at hand,and it wasalways foundthat the vic-tims foot hadbeen caught inan unblockedswitch one instancethe foreman, bywhose negli-gence that condition arose, was sentencedto several years of penal servitude. As the doctor finished, the coronerturned and walked back toward thehouse. No one ventured a remark ofany kind, for all felt the gia\4ty of thesituation. As the coroner called the meeting toorder I was struck by the expression ofhis countenance. Never have I seensuch fury written on the face of anyman, and j-et so well controlled, withal. Gentlemen, he began, his voicetense and low with suppressed anger,. I find, by further investigation, thatthis boy was killed, not so much by anaccident due to a disregard of the rulesgoverning trespassing, but by carelessnesswhich, because of its utter disregard forthe safety of others, might well be calledmurder. You railroad men all know howdangerous is a switch not guarded withproper foot blocking. We know, frompast experience and records, that hun-dreds of menhave laid theirlives upon thealtar erectedby their com-rades careless-ness and negli-gence. Accord-ing to our laws—laws basedlargely uponthe physicalwell-being ofthe race—any-one attemptingsuicide orjeopardizinghis oiv?i life istreated as acriminal. Ofh o w m u c hgreater serious-ness is the ac-tion, or lack ofaction, whichcauses the en-dangering andforfeiture of thelives of others!The one who isresponsible for the condition of the switchwhich cost young Da\is his life, may, inhis own soul and alone with his Creator,condemn himself as a murderer. The coroner paused. Not one ofthos
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1910, booksubjectbaltimo, bookyear1912