Alexandria Gazette

HAVE BEEN DRUNK.

Accused to Take the Stand Today to Answer Certain Allegations.

41 PERSONS WERE KILLED.

One Witness Swore Schroeder Was Intoxicated Less Than Two Hours Before he Took Train Out.

Corning, N. Y., July 11.--Engineer Schroeder, who was in the cab of the express train that smashed into the Buffalo Limited on the Lackawanna Railroad near here early on Fourth of July morning, causing the death of 41 persons, will take the stand in his own defense Monday afternoon. The coroner's inquest was today adjourned until that time on the assurance of Schroeder's doctor that he will then be sufficiently recovered from his attack of nervous prostration to tell his side of the case.

One witness has flatly sworn that Schroeder was drunk less than four hours before he took his train out. Three other witnesses, called late yesterday, declared that this was false. The head hostler at the round house testified that Schroeder was in excellent physical shape and the conductor of the train swore he talked with him before the train left Elmira and that he was "all right."

Other witnesses swore that they saw Schroeder assisting an intoxicated neighbor home four hours before he left on his run. Two saloon keepers, in whose places this man and the engineer were, testified that Schroeder drank water and his companion beer.

That Schroeder was called twice to go out on the run was made a part of the records. It was shown, however, that in neither case did the caller make the engineer sign the call book as required by the rules of the road.

That the death list would have been vastly reduced if all steel cars had been used was shown by the testimony of the conductor of the ill-fated train. Thirty-five of the forty passengers in the wooden day coaches were killed; three in a Pullman car and three in a steel day coach. The latter three were on the platform and were crushed.