The Tragedy at the Railway Crossing
A conductor and engineer face manslaughter charges following a fatal train accident in Prosser.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
Earl Cooper, conductor, and A. R. Peight, engineer, on the train which one week ago Sunday caused the death of three of Prosser’s young people, were arraigned in superior court yesterday afternoon and pleaded not guilty to the charge of manslaughter, preferred against them by Prosecuting Attorney George O. Beardsley. The demurrer filed Tuesday by railway attorneys against the information was not decided upon by Judge John Truax. Trial of the men will be held during the first week in April. Meanwhile, the claim agent for this division is spending much of his time in Prosser. In addition to the recent disastrous accident, the claim department is working on two minor accidents, occurring several weeks ago. C. F. Merry, of the department of public works, was a Prosser visitor last week and made recommendations that will probably mean improvements to local railway crossings.
“He recommends the swinging style of crossing signal for Sixth and Seventh streets.”
Fatal accidents at railway crossings were a recurring, grim feature of life in the early 20th century, highlighting the dangerous intersection of expanding transit infrastructure and civic safety. Prosser’s struggle to secure modern signal systems at their crossings echoes modern debates over infrastructure investment and municipal liability.
From readers
No comments yet. If you know something about this story — a correction, a family memory, a source — it belongs here.