Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1889-08-07
DEATH UNDERGROUND.
WILLIAM 0,R0URKE KILLED BIZ
/. SLIDING ROCK IN THE 81.
LAWRENGE MINE.

n. III. Cline, Wanted by the Authorities
Leaves in the Quiet and Calm OF the
Nipht-George and Hammer in Court
neutrality-suspicious. of the Alps Min
ing Company-Mattie vickers Makes
Another Decided Hit.
Friday afternoon between 4 and .
O'Clock Coroner Howard was notified that
an accident had occurred in the st. Law
rance. nv which one OF the miners had lost
his life. Hastily summoning a jury he left
for the mine, as did also reporter Tor LIE
MINER. When the reporter arrived there
the coroner and the gentlemen whom he
had summoned to act as jurors had Just
aliphted from their carriages, and the party
at once entered the hosting works, where
the body OF the man killed was lying.
The jurors, WI. Penrose, Jerry Mullins.
John Bennett, w. II. Nichols, D. Curran
and P. Martin were sworn and the inquest
began. Hugh Smith, 7. Cassidy, NJ. Far
new, James Wilton, John Brady, NJ. Muir
ply, John Murphy, VIM. Bryne and Pat
rick Kane were the witnesses examined.
With the exception OF Messrs. Kane and
Byrne, the former formau OF the mine, and
the latter shift boss, all the witnesses were
working with the deceased when the acct
dent occurred.
The mar who lost his life was named
William O'Rourke, and was one Of the
timbermen employed in the mine. The
accident took place on the fourth floor OF
the 600-foot, on the east side, at about
half-past three o'clock. The testimony
went to show that O'Rourke, with Wilton
and another timberman named O'Mara,
were engaged in putting in a set OF timbers,
and the deceased was on his knees clearing
q place on the floor on which to rest q
OF rock from the hanging wall gave way
and fell forward with terrific
force. The rock struck iii and
hurled him backwards and against the
| post OF the last set OF timbers facing the
wall. Wilton who was working along side
OF him and only about two feet away, said
that he heard the noise Of the slide and
that some OF the rock broke the handle of
the shovel which he had in his hands at the
time. He dropped the shovel and looked
around but failed to see 0'Rourke at first
glance and thought he had escaped. He
Immediately went to where he had seen
ulW dU WOTh 6uO lOuuO Alu yLuS aOON I'LL
the timber which deceased had just been at
work upon. He said that not over two
minutes elapsed between the time wien he
heard the slide and when he gott to deceased.
Smiths testimony was substantially the
same. He said that he was twelve or fit.
teen feet from deceased when the slide took
place. The noise made by the falling rock
| caused him to look around and he heard
some cry out that a man had been hurt. He
ran over and the first man he saw was
O'Meara lying down against a post and
some rocks on top OF him. He next saw
O'Rourke and the latter was dead. He
said that a quantity of rock was lying on
| the latter covering his body from the hips
down. He assisted to get the two men out
and noticed that one OF O'Rourke's legs
vas broken. A big rock was. lying by the
side of deceased, witness said, and he
thought that it struck deceased on the
breast and then rolled off.
The testimony OF the other men who
were working in the stope with deceased
was substantially the same as that already
given, with the exception OF that Of Brady
who testified that he saw the dec, ased
thrown backwards and fall against the
timber behind. All the men testified that
they considered the place at which the &C.
cident occurred as having been perfectly
safe, and had worked there themselves all
day and up to the time when the slide
occurred. They said that every precau-
ton possible had been taken. and con.
sidered the accident WIDELY unavoidable
and unlocked for, and that no blame for
it's occurrence could possibly be attached
to any one.
Foreman Kane deposed that be had
been at work ia the about seven years,
and had a thorough knowledge OF the con-
JsAso- ~f %Lo y-;Dn o-I r.r,, III oaSI
that he had inspected the place, in accord
ance with his duties as foreman, in the
morning, and had considered it absolutely
safe, and that he had noticed nothing IN
usual about its appearance. All men EN-.
ployed in the mine, he said, had orders to
thoroughly examined those parts OF the
mine which they were employed before
beginning work on their shifts, and report
all dangerous appearing places. He said
that timbers were always put in as fast as
room for them was made. and that sew.
eraltimes men had been discharged for
being careless and not taking due p ecau-
tious against accidents.
Byrne's testimony was about the same
and said that he bad inspected the ground
and had also considered perfectly safe and
had ordered that room be made for the
reception of timbers. He considered the
accident unavoidable and that it had not
been caused through the negligence or care
lessness OF anybody connected with the
management OF the mine.
This concluded the testimony and Super
intendent Carroll then requested that the
jury and the reporter present 60 down into
the mine and examine the place where the
accident had occurred. They did 80 and
after thoroughly examining the spot, and in
the examination OF which all possible as
sek1-no -.r -1,Ia-ol h. lI,-.. T----n
and Kane and some OF the miners who had
been working with O'Rourke, they came to
the conclusion that the accident had been
one OF those strange fatalities which occur
in spite OF all human precautions and for
the occurrence of which nobody can be
blamed in the least.
The jury returned a verdict in accord.
ance, and wholly exonerated every person
connected with the management OF the
mine.
Deceased was about 81 years of age and
unmarried, and had no relatives in this
part OF the country. Jerry Mullins states
that he was a native of Michigan. His rel
atives reside in one of the North Dakota
towns, and intelligence OF his death was
telegraphed them last night. Superintend-
emit arrOll ordered the remains to be cared
for by Undertaken Sherman, and the body
was removed to the Iatter's undertaking
rooms on Granite street, where it now
is. O'Rourke was a member of the Miners
union, and in good standing.
O'Meara, who was also struck by the
falling rock, received a couple of cuts on
the head, and was also more or less bruised
about the body. His injuries are not con-
sidered serious, as he vas able to walk
home after being raised to the surface.
ORourke's neck was broken, and the left
side OF his face crushed in.