New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-10-22
TAEY WERE TELEPHONE WIRES.
NEW EIGHT ON THE FEEKs ELSEWHERE WAS
THE CONTACTS

NEW EIGHT ON THE FEEKS CAsE-WHERE WAS
THE CONTACTS
r,o ,noet ,nportaut fact developed yesterday IN
Tho inouest in the case Of John +. II. Feeks. the
lneman who was killed by an electric current were
that the four wires that burned into his mana, Ioo'
neck and face belonged to the Metropolitan Telephone
COMPANY 1t had been thought that It was a roio
ard Stock Telegraph Companys wire that hsd gwen
him the fatal shock
The first witness whom Coroner LOUIS W. ochul|o
called when the hearing was begun in the City Han
az IL g. m yesterday, was j. W. Darraeh, lorenid"
Of the Western Union Company, who said that ne
had made a careful examination Of the telegraph
and telephone wires leading from the pole on WHICH
Feels was killed and found that in some piaces leH
were only eight ten inches from electric Heht
wires At one spot he discovered piece OF tele-
pbone wire hanging down over an electric light "Ho
Int the Insulation Of the latter had not been worn
out so the contact could not have caused feeKss
death. Some Of the electric light wires were badly
Insulated one Of them having four bare spots on II
within a space Of twelve feet.
F. W Baldwin, wire chief, and Oscar a. Bro"h'
chief engineer Of the Western Union Company gave
un1mportant testimony, and Charles 5. ii. small
assistant superintendent and George F. Scott lore
man of the Cold and Stock Telegraph Company, the
next witnesses, said that their company had not
single wire on the pole on which The accident oc-
Cured The general manager Of the Metropolitan
Telephone Company, W. II. EcRe:t, recognized the
wire which gave Feebs the first shock as ono be-
longing 20 bis company This statement was corrobo-
rated by his account Of how just at the time that
Yeeks was killed the annunciatOrs magnetic bells
Of four of the wires leading into the Murrayst eX-
change of his company were burned out. Men were
sent out at once to find out where the wires were
crossed with an electric light wire, for they know
that no other current could have had such effect,
hut they were unable discover the point Of contact
Mr. Eckert thought that electric light wire had
crossed four Of tie telephone wires, aud that the
company owning the electric light wires had dis
covered the leakage and sent mon out at 10
brealt the contact The witness said that his
nauy,s wires might have been charged by Fecks' 5
R~Gy but thought this highly improbable. T. F. sher
vno3 James Pagan and John A. Kelvin who also
ar1nIoved by the Metropolitan Telephone Company
~ tGed TO the same effect
Samuel IL Murphy called 70 tel how the
,A,cnLont at No 40 Pearhst., burned out at tie
exa5t time that Feeks killed The inquest win 90
:" r"d%s Lndrpws In the Supreme Court Chambers
terIay called the counsel In the electric light cases
tsora him and asked them 70 amend the briefs which
Uere handed up to him on saturday. TIE different
| conies of tho resolution passed by tho Board OF
Prrtrjcai Control On October did agree and tho
Imdqe AS ked for a certified copy Of the resolution
Grant received yeste rday 500 for The larnly
| % S1eman Feehs and go for that Of LAneman Erd.
|