New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-23
MAYOR HEWITT ANGRY.
HE sNUBs THE CORONER AND JURY,

| CORONER LEVY WILL GET NO ASSISTANCE vRo8
HIN IN RIs EFFORTS TO FIND OUT HOW ~
PREVENT DEATHS FROM ELECTRIC LIGHT wsREA
For ten minutes things were exceedingly lively
yesterday in Coroner Lcvy's little court room.
where tn, inquest on the death OF Thomas Murray
is conducted. The Coroner has announced bis In
tention of trying to find out what ought to be done
with the wires in order to prevent recurrence OF
such painful deaths To help him he summoned
Mayor Hewitt as witness. The Mayor wns In an
angry mood when he came in and waxed hotter
while giving his testimony, which amounted 10
point blank refusal to help the Coroner at all. and
he retired, after dischargng parting snub at tbs
jury, more wrathful than ever The witness be-
fore him, Foreman Siers, had made up his mind 20
tell nothing and adhered to his determination
Willism I. King, reporter on The World"
gave the result of some investigations he had made
for bis paper concerning the condition Of cleo
trio light wires. He did not think one could 60
block in any direction without finding bare places
on the wires. Often this was the case where they
were in close proximity to dead" wires, which
were liable to be rendered particularly lively and
dangerous by contact with badly insulated electric
| light wiics.
| Frank NJ. Sers, foreman Of the Brush Company,
told how the superintendent, on learning of Muir
rays DEATH had generously given Instructions that
he should have nice funeral. For half an hour
the Coroner and members Of the jury laborcd with
the witness to get from him some expression OF
opinion to what caused Murray's DEATH but
without success. The examination like this:
juror-If that wire had not becn there. would
Murray have met with his dcatbf A-Well (after .
mediiaivc pauscl, don't think could answer thas
question.
catch hod o an exposed eocc light wire wSous
beng insulated what would be the results A.-wel
/ ,.rht ha I fnlr fObf ha tnf, lExarw
body in tho court-room laughed.)
A third 1uror-what IS electricity Al don't
profess to be expert electrician Nothing has been
done to the wire since Murrays death don't know
Odd you not feel that you were committing
Crime in leaving wire exposed which has already
enra before ha
Coroner Levy lsarcasticallyl-Ah, II you had told
that before would have saved US deal OF trouble
Assistant District-Attorney Hartman next tackled
the witness with the object of getting from him
some expression of opinion concerning what caused
! Murrays death.
"Supposing, he said, I" that you had graspcd
that wire and had died and had woke up in tho
next world and somebody had asked you what had
killed you, wouldn't you say that it was the cleo
! tricity?'
Siers scratched his head until he had grasped tho
full import of the question, and then replied
soberly: 1 don't know as 1 would; / can't
answer that question"
Neither coaxing threatening he'd any effect
on him. He had just one idea in his head and that
was that he would say nothing which would in any
way reflect upon the company that employed him,
and he stuck to that idea with devotion worthy
of better cause The coroner and jury had to
give him up.
MAYOR HEWITT STRIDES IN.
That conclusion was hastened by the entrance OF
Mayor Hewitt 1t was evident from the way In
| xyhi tha into fhe heat n
nervous tattoo with his fingers when he had taken
seat that he was not in good humor But Cor
oner Levy apparently didn't observe these indica-
| tions of an impending storm. Mayor Hewitt was
called to the stand and was sworn.
I'VE are here your Honor" said Coroner Levy
in the bland tone which he adopts with aistin-
gushcd witnesses to get at the cause Of the death
Of this lineman and, if we can find out some way
Of protecting the people from such dangers. Any
suggestions"
"Ib bave no knowledge on the subject whatever
exclaimed Mr. Hewitt tartly, cutting short tho
Coroner's neat little speech. 81" am not here to
make suggestions I will answer any questions
put to me, but / can do nothing but answer
questions
Coroner Levy shrank away from the Mayor as
though small torpedo had exploded beside him.
He was dumbfounded.
like to ask his Honor any questionsp" he saids
meekly.
THE FOREMAN PLUCKS UP COURAGE
! There was pause. The jury looked frightened
Foreman Lynch was the first to pluck up courage,
and afterward Juryman Callinan showed that he
wasn't afraid of the Mayor. even If he were angry
Mr. Lynch-Mr Hewitt. is there any law to compel
the electric light companies to put their wires under.
ground? A-There Is law which makes provision
4 at uldersr0unQ
shall be constructed for the purpose There DO law
o.-Is there no body Of men that can compel the
companies to construct snbwaysl A:ENo.
be GuArE Put undeTgroanSr SaYiS md % A:1Yes. .''
0aw you state WHAT a.. Al prefer that that the Jury
business to supply tho jury with the law
you of the lawn Al don't know that tho
law Is not enforced . .,
could not bo put underground where there no sub
way.
A BREEZE OVER THE SUBWAY QUESTION
Juryman Callinan next took turn with the
Mayor, whose temper was steadily rising.
O-It has been testified that along sixth-ave.. be-
veen Eighteenth and Twenty third sts, where subways
arc constriictcd the electric light wires stiu
aoovo ground Can you tell US who is responsible for
o-Is it not a fact, Mr. Mayor, that the subway
Commission have asked through the Mayor the bures1
Mayor Hewitt addressing tho Coroncr)-"here did
this accident 0ccurl
Mayor Hewift-Then / don't see that tho question
has Anything TO do with tho case don't want 70
20 all the universal globe In search OF Things thas
have nothing TO do with the case -,
Coroner Levy (meehly)-I suppose thar tne Jury
wants TO find out who is responsible for this death.
Mayor Hewltt-wel l am not on trial as that
gentleman seems to suppose, and don't want TO DO
put trial.
Juror calIInan--Mr Mayor. don't want to put you
on trial but the Coroner has said that he was goR2
into his case TO ind out who is responsible.
Mayor Hewitt ito the coroncrI-What Is tho evs
dencel
killed by an electric shock at No. 616 Broadway.
Mayor Heuitt-Nep well there Is no subway thcro
and am not going into a fishing expedition with
these gentlemen all tho city to ascertain the con-
dition Of the wires