Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1875-08-24
TESTIMONY.

DIR. Martin Schnabel, sworn-I re-
side in Silver City. Know the de-
ceased. He came TO his death at
twenty minutes past o'clock this
morning, from injuries which he re-
ceived. Said injuries consist OF a
fracture and dislocation of the spinal
column, at or about the eleventh dor
sal vertebr@. He was injured about
8 o'clock a. M. Saturday, and I, as
sisted by DR.. Kirby, attended him.
| We found q comminuted fracture Of
the leg, between the ankle and knee.
1 first saw him at the Silver Hill
hosting works. 1 met DR.. Kirby
there, and consulted with him. Or
dered litter and had him conveyed
to the residence Of John Dunlap, in
Silver City, Lyon County, Nevada.
| We gave him stimulants and rallied
him, so that we might make an ex-
animation. The scalp wound on the
head was slight. In my opinion
death was produced by traumatic
fever and internal inflammation,
caused by the dislocation of the
spinal column. Such injuries would,
necessarily, be fatal.
Colonel Van De Water, sworn-I
am Superintendent of the Silver
Hill company. Don't know de-
ceased. Understood he was working
for another man-that is, in another
mans place. Between and 8
o'clock yesterday morning the cage
was down in the shaft. Heard two
bells, which is the signal for the
cage to be lowered, and, while still
standing there, heard three bells for
the cage to raise to the third station.
The cage stopped, and one bell rang
as usual to bring up the cage to the
top. The cage came to the top with
four men, who had been at work at
the third station, and I got on the
cage and ordered the men to lower
me to the third station. Wanted to
examine the mine. At the third
station the foreman rang the cage to
the bottom. / went into the mine.
Heard noises and talking, but could
not tell what they were saying. The
bell rang to get the cage back. Stood
back and saw the cage go up.
Thought saw man on it, but was
not sure. Stepped back and went
into the mine, and the cage went on
up the shaft. The cage came back
and l went up and found the man
Mills on the floor of the hosting
works. Had nothing to do with the
descent of that cage. He was work.
ing in Coggins' place. There were
| five men at the bottom. James Pas
chal, Richard Hancock and John
Peters were present.
John Peters, sworn - Yerterday
morning Hancock, Mills and my
self took the cage and went to take
out the bolts. Hancock told Mills
he had finished his side, and he
came to help. We told the men at
the bottom that we would send the
cage to the foreman to send to the
third station to send up the night
shift men, and to send It back to us
again. The cage came right back.
Hancock was with me. heard
Mills shout after he was hurt. We
spoke back to him three or four
times. He must have been crossing
the shaft when the cage struc:, him
and knocked him thirty or forty feet
TO the bottom.
| James Wassecha, sworn-I am q
miner. Know Mills Tell to the bot
tom of the shaft. He was up In the
shaft taking out bolts when he fell.
Cannot tell what caused his death.
Richard Hancock, sworn Was
present and helped take off the
bolts. Mills, others and myself took
four p.anks and four wrenches.
said: "I4et us go up before the boss
goes up" Rang one bell. The cage
went little too far. Stopped the
cage and rang two bells to lower it,
1t came back, and l spoke to de-
ceased, and he commenced working;
so did 1. We went to work getting
out the bolts. We had four planks
two for each shaft. l got done
work first. l said: slack, 1 have
got mine off; I'm going across the
shaft to take off the other two
planks." Jumped on the cage and
took off the two planks and then got
up on the pump shaft. Said F: 81
will ring two bells for the boss
(Chandler) to come up" The boss
was to take the cage, and when he
got it to the top TO send it down to
The bottom. 1t came back to us.
l was in the pump shaft and not close
to him. Thought I heard him
scream. Hallooed, but got no an
swer. The cage came down to us
to take the bolts to the bottom. In
the meantime he fell to the bottom
OF the shaft. 1t was purely acct
dental. No one was to blame that l
know of. He knew the cage was
coming as we'll as did.
James Paschal, sworn-We got on
the morning shift. Chandler came
down. Deceased, Hancock and Peters
took the cage to go and take out the
hanging rods. Chandler, Joe Was
secha and myself were there. The
cage came down to US. They called
down that the night shit men on the
third station wanted the cage to 60
on top. Chandler was asked il he
understood exactly what was wanted.
Mills called down to us to let the
cage 60 to the third station and
come back, and, as soon as down,
let it go to those on top. Chandler
went 10 the third station and I staid
at the bottom. Saw Mills fall to
the bottom of the shaft. He fell
forty feet, think. He fell on his
face. Don't know his age. He
worked ten or twelve shifts and
acted like an experienced miner.
Edward Chandler, sworn-I was
not there at the time of the injury.
Three men went up to take out the
bolts, and the cage was sent to me
L To lat llao ~ 10