Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1872-08-09
The Most Terrible Death on Record.

| from the Detroit Free Press, July 20.
About half-past ten O'Clock yesterday O
young man named Edward Coutier, engaged
| in vanishing furniture on the third floor Of
No. 81 Atwater street, met horrible death -
| The Young man has had great passion for
gymnastics, expecting 10 attach himself to n
circus as soon as he became proficient. While
working around the building he has used all
his spare moments in swinging from beams,
turning hand-springs and performing other
! ieats calling for suppleness and activity. He
was seen clingfng 10 the main shaft of the two
hundred-horse-power engine a few days ago
and was warned by his employer never TO at
tempt The feat again. This shaft runs along
within thirty inches of the floor and makes
about one hundred and fifty revolutions per
minute. In the morning, yesterday after fin
ishing up table, Cloutier went to the north
end of the building and prepared himself to
perform some feat which he had studied up
Taking the tackle rope which is used TO hoist
articles from the alley below he passed to the
free end over the shaft. This much was ascer-
tanned after his death, but his further proceed
ings will never be known. A boy was work
ing forty feet away and was first alarmed by
hearing Cloutier call out: stop the engine
quick !" Running around the boy saw that
he was caught in the folds of the rope and
wound over the shaft. The boy ran, as did
others, but it was two or three minutes before
the engine could be stopped, and then the vic
tim was past help. AS soon as the rope dashed
him close to the shaft the young man had TO
turn with it. One of his arms was caught
round The shaft so that it drew his face and
shoulder close down but left his limbs free to
pound on the floor. The noise of his feet strik-
ing the boards was heard half block away
above the hum of the machinery. His boot
heels tore strip off one of the boards and
were then flung from bis feet clear across the
room. His hat went the other way, and his
pants were stripped off aud thrown fifteen feet
away. After the boots few Off the young mans
bare feet whipped the floor 800 or 400 times.
The feet were mashed up TO the ankles, SO that
they spread out like brooms, and looked like
pieces of bloody beef The bones Of the ankles
struck the floor until dents half an inch deep
were made in the boards. After the tackle
rope had been wound up its full length it had
to snap, but this did not let the victim loose.
After the engine stopped Cloutier had TO be cut
loose from the shaft lie gave gasp as they
released him, but died as they laid him down
One Of bis arms was broken half dozen times
and, indeed, there was hardly whole bone
in his body. His legs were mere pulps, his
breast crushed in, his ribs broken, fingers
broken, back and neck broken and q worse
sight never was seen. The floor was covered
with blood and flesh, and the strongest men
shuddered as they looked. Coroner Grau was
called, and jury was empanelled, and YER
dict rendered on the spot The verdict was |
to the effect that the deceased came to his |
death while trying an experiment with a rope |
around shaft making 35 revolutions per |
minute. The verdict was thus worded to |
make palmer the fact that the young mans |
ecklessness brought about the accident