Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1874-10-08
THELY0N COUNTY TIMES
CORONER's INQUEST.

Nevada; before Isaac Leversee, Pub
lie Administrator, Lyon county; in
the matter of the death of John
Prout.
On the 9th day of October, 1874,
it came to the knowledge of the
Public Administrator of Lyon coun-
ty, that one John Prout came to his
death on Monday night, october 5th,
at the Kossuth mine, in Lyon coun-
ty, by falling down the shaft after
being struck by the hosting cage.
The Public Administrator went to
the mine and called a jury, and
viewed the body of deceased, and
the Jury was sworn by the said Ad-
ministrator, acting as Coroner, and
again they viewed the body, when
the following witnesses were called
and sworn, to-wit:
Isaac Vodden--I am a cousin OF
deceased; l work in the Virginia
Consolidated; the name Of deceased
was John Prout, a native of Corn
wall, England, aged % years. l
first heard of his death Monday
night; he died the same evening
about s O'Clock; he leaves no rela-
tiyes in this State but me; he has
sister living in Grass Valley, Cal,
named Mrs. Sarah Merryfield she
has family; he left no property;
had no money, watch or property,
and had only worked about four
shifts at this mine. l have no rea-
son to believe his death was other
than accidental, and no one to
blame.
Thomas Reynolds, sworn-I knew
the deceased since about the I'd of
October; l work in the kossuth
mine; l was down at work in the
bottom of the shaft, with two men
on the cage; the foreman was Eli
Valley; it was an empty cage, and
deceased was above me five feet, and
behind the cage; when the cage was
started l turned round and heard
the crash, when he fell; l heard the
men on the cage say all right, and
it went on; he must have moved his
head out; there was plenty Of light
three or four candles. When the
cage passed up saw him back of
the timbers, all safe; the cage must
have struck his head and passed
when he fell down where | was. |
rung the bell for the cage to come
down, and in the meantime lifted
the body out of the way; he was
entirely dead when he reached the
bottom where l was; don't know of
his having any property.
Samuel Dunno, sWorn-I work i'll
the Kossuth; l knew the deceased
for three or four days; he was a
laborer in the kossuth mine; he
came to his death at P. NJ. Mon
day; his name was John Prout. l
was at work, and at o'clock I told
him was going up to get backing;
1 told him to stand aside and he did
so; rung down the cage, and the
foreman asked me who was coming
up, and 1 said l was. l got on the
cage and told deceased to look out;
he showed his head back, showing
he must have heard me; after /
passed him / noticed the cage struck
him; l told the foreman, and he
said he didn't believe tit couldn't
be. When l got on top / told the
boys of it, and Thomas rung for the
return of the cage, when three of us
went down and found him dead.
He had plenty room if he had kept
straight; l had often stood there and
the cage would pass me all right.
He was kind of dull and slow and
not used to mining. 1t was clearly
an accident, and no blame could be
attached to any one but himself.
Samuel Latelle, sworn-I knew
the deceased about four days; he
came to his death Monday night
about O'Clock; he was working in
the shaft, and was up here on top,
when Dunno told me a man was
killed, and he and the foreman went
down and found him dead at the
bottom of the shaft. To the best of
my knowledge it was an accident.
He stood up about four feet from
the bottom, on place where he
could keep out of the way had he
chosen to do so. The man was
there when the cage came down,
and he kept out of the way then; it
was space of about Is or l6 inches,
plenty of room; he must have
looked out, and it struck his head
and smashed it between the cage
and the timber just above his head.
1 think no one was to blame but
himself.
Eli Valley, sworn-I knew de-
ceased; l was acting as foreman;
Thomas rung the bell to lower the
cage and went to the bottom; when
we passed down he was standing
there; when we were just going to
start Samuel called out to him "look
out" and he moved back.
State of Nevada, in and for the
County of Lyon; before Isaac Lev
.erSee, Coroner. In the matter of
the inquisition upon the body of
John Prout, deceased. We, the I'M
dersigned, the jurors summoned to
appear before Isaac Leversee, the
Coroner of the County of Lyon, at
the Kossuth mine, near Silver City,
. Lyon county, Nevada, on the 9th
day OF October, A. d. 1874, to in
quire into the cause of death of John
PrOut: having been dulv sworn ar