Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-07-10

done. didn't hang up the report myself as
required by law. They have case mere, ana
gave 1t TO Mr.. Lang to hang up. am rathel
inclined TO believe now that there was large
amount of gas il the mine; have Iesteu tne
gas and found the explosive limits. Inc loWSss @ !
is 8 and 8, and have seen it as hlgh as 10: tne
nearer it approaches 9H the more the eh.
plosion. If there had been good curren' Cs oi
air 1t should have driven the gas away. oh'
cumstances held it back some way.
THE MINE ALWAYS BAD.
"Would you have come to the mines If not
sent for, Mr.. Keighley?'
II don't know, / always protested that the
mine was bad one, as many more are. ihey
seemed to start improvements, but did not carry
them on. If they improved the mines as tney
started to, it must have changed the result
"Why didn't you stay and see the improve
ments nader" asked MIR. Lindsey.
Because didn't have to. Mr.. Lang prom
ised TO make some improvements, even before
this last time, but they didn't come up to my
desires. Whether the Improvements they prom
ised to make this last time were maoe l u0n @ '
know, l do know that they were started Inc
rib where Pat Devlin worked was III pau
shape"
Then he handed the last two reports OF Mine
| Boss Evans to the Knights of Labor represen-
| tativeS. After looking over them MI. EEans
was recalled. He was questioned concerning
his signature and identified them. II dlon
send the report for June to Mr.. helshley as
report. All the measurements were made pe-
| tore the accident" -
The Coroper-Ihe evidence has all been
| taken, and am pleased with the treatment we
have received. 1t has been requested oy DIS
| trict Master Workman Kerfoot that secretary
Watchorn and Mr.. Lindsey address the jury.
Mr. Watchorn.said: This matter has been
probed to the bottom. 1t is for you to decide
whether these two men came to their death oy
an avoidable or unavoidable accident we oe-
neve this accident could have been avoided.
must call attention to Mr. Worman's statement
as to how the bore hole IN the Mahoning mine
was driven. Why couldn't this have been done
IN this mine? The inspectors all say Ii this
hole had been approached in the proper man
ner no accident would have occurred. ho!d
that the men who gave orders to approach TINS
hole in this way are guilty OF the death OF these
KEIGHLEY BITTERLY SCORED
HE held that it was not according TO la"
when they knew there was danger ahead TO cut
the bore hole the way they did. The inspector
comes down." saic MIR. Watchorn, land makes
the worst report on the condition of the mine
ever saw He found black damp and nre
damp and safety lamps In bad condition. he
runs his finger through the gauze OF one OF the
lamps and vet he permits this mine to be oper-
ated. Then tell us no one is responsible we
hold that this mine has been run in the worst
possible and most reckless way imaginable.
Mr. Hill has been here three months. He de-
pends on his subordinates to keep him posted.
He swears that from their reports he thought
the mine in good condition If that is the case
they hayo been misrepresenting the state OF
affairs to HIM. They are responsible for this
accident"
He then reviewed Inspector Keighley's re-
ports. and scored the mine officials for not being
present when they knew this bore hole was to
be cut into. He would not accuse them of
cowardice, for he had worked with two OF
them in rescuing parties, but 1t was strange.
He showed by the testimony that the mine
hocc nod hanra II
days at time in the mems rooms. he held
that there was recklessness from January to
December. He closed by asking the jury to
locate the blame now, and stop these terrible
calamlties. He spoke in behalf of hundreds
and thousands of miners.
MIR. Lindsey, for the company, spoke next
He congratulated the miners that they had
such an able man to represent their interests
as Secretary Watchcrn. He had worked like
a hero in the work of rescue, and by his speech
showed that he was able to look after their in
terests in the courts. He had made a strong
plea for these entombed under the Hill Farm
mine but that was not the question to be de-
cided. On the testimony the jury must decide
how the two men reached their death. he
would not admit that anyone felt more sym
pathy for the families broken up by this catas.
trophe than the company and himself.
TOO JEALOUS IN DUTY.
The men came to their death from an ex-
cessive zeal in the discharge Of their duty.
When they found it was impossible to reach
the others they should have come out, and six
men testified that they could have done SO.
The condition of the mine had nothing to 90
with this question. They stayed too long when
escape was open. Their duty to their families
made it necessary to escape when they found
it was impossible to proceed. The officials
went to the men drilling the mole and asked If
there was any gas in it. The answer was al
ways in the negative. Danger was apprehended
from nothing but water and nothing came from
that. He held that neither the company nor
the officials could be held responsible.
The Coroner told the Jury that their duty was
lust beginning. He was satisfied they would do
their duty. He warned them that the death of
Hay ana Shearin was the only thing before
them He told them they must keep their
business to themselves. Then he bade them
farewell.
The jury then began its deliberations.