Telegram-herald., 1891-08-30
how WAS HI KILLED !!
The Combination Of Events That
Took George Hydorn's Life.
The PRIMAL CAUSE WASELECInICIrY
6as the Fall of His Horss upsn Hin
MAJ Have Crashed His Life Oas
a Problem to be solved By
tiss CoFoasF's Eaquest

An accident which resulted In the
death OF one man aRd a horse occurred
shortly after 3 o'clock yesterday after
eoon-Geo. Hydorn. an employe OF the
crescent Milling Company in the ca
pseity of driver. took a load OF
grain from the mill and put il into
ear standing on one OF the G.. r. < L.
tracks, on West Division-st He was
tn the act OF driving his somewhat
spirited team OF horses away when
switeh engine No. Z, OF the above
mentioned road. came putting along.
The locomotive frightened the animals
and they ran north on West Division
st. till the corner Of West Bridge-st.
was reached. Here they collided with
a telegraph pole. the tongue OF the
wagon coming against it With terrific
force. and the horses separating and
going on opposite sides OF the pole
The iolt sustained by the lauter was
- great that thS special telephone
wire of the q. r & I. from this city TO
Nuskegon, which was strung thereon,
snapped and fell across the suspended
troIly wire of the Street Car Company,
which was charged with current OF
electricity OF 800 bolts. The end OF
the wire Tapped over, and, swinging
90 and fro. caught Mr.. Hydorn under
the chin. giving him an awful shock
and burning him badly. He brushed
the wire away frantically and in its
swerving movements IL rubbed over
the neck OF the nigh horse, slightly
paraly zing IL, and wound up by wrap
ping itself around the neck OF the
off horse. MIR. Hydorn had apparent,
" recovered from the effects OF its con-
tact with him. and. partly jumping
'and partly falling. he set foot upon
the ground. The last horse struck
was on the verge OF topping over.
The driver placed his hands against
its side in wild attempt to hold it
0p. In doing SO. the animal acted
as a transmitter, and, both of Mr..
Hydorn's feet being upon the ground,
a circuit was formed which allowed
the fluid TO course through his body.
Qhe horse. which weighed between
1900 and 100 pounds. commenced
10 fall. stunned with electricity Mr..
Hydorn had not sufficient strength to
CIT himself ont of the way. Til-
monstrous animal tumbled and Mr..
Hydorn was borne TO the ground
bereath the awful weight. The few
people who witnessed the catastrophe
ran TO the unfortunate mans assist
ance. but were kept back by the death
dealing wire which was waving back
and forth In n threatening manner.
Some one telephoned to the power
house and the circuit was immediate
~ shut off, BY this time eight long
minutes had elapsed. Both man and
horse were dead. The weight OF the
ponderous animal had forced the
breath out OF Mr.. Hydorn and he was
black in the face. Patrolman Rustic
was in the vicinity and SAW
doing what he could to keep
the crowd back. he notified police
Headquarters. and the officials there
sent WORT TO Coroner Penwarden. but
by the time the latter had arrived
upon the spot Coroner Bradish, with
the help OF Undertaken Durfee. several
officers and citizens. extricated all that
was left OF Mr.. Hydorn from the posi-
tion into which he had been throwned.
Those who saw the accident. rs far as
learned are T.. r. Baker, James c.
Smith, who runs the tower at the
crossing. Fred Forestman, and Patrol
man Rusto. There are two theories
20 the cause OF death, though there
IL no doubt that the horse was killed
ny electricity. One story Is that Mr..
Hydorn was fatally shocked when the
wire first struck him and that the
finishing touch was given when he
placed his hand against the side Of the
horse. The other Is that the shock
sustained would not have been fatal
and that he would now be alive were
it not for the fact that he was crushed
by the animal falling upon him. Sew
eral officers OF the Street Car Company
arrived shortly after the casualty and
nsasse many inquiries as to the direct
cause oi MFR. Hydorn's death. MIR.
Chapman and Mr.. Hanchet are sure
that tho shock was not sufficient 10
kil the man. II is well known that n
horse can not stand as much electricity
wv n quarter. "a can n man Coro-
ner Bradish cnpaneled the following
Jury: w. =. Stevens, Fred T. Adams.
"A. A. Weeks, VIII Turner. James AID
rich and WilIiap Jones The remains
were viewed and an adjournmen. taken
until Monday morning at 10 o'clock.
after which the body was taken TO
Mfr. Hydorn's home. corner os Jeffer-
scn and First-sts The dead man
leavcs . wife. but no children. When
hhs wife heard of her husbands sad
tate her grief was heart-rending to
behold. Geo. r. Hvdorn was 20 years
old. . nephew Of Justice Of the Peace
Henry A. Hydorn and Anthony c. Hy-
dorm. who runs the boot and shoe
store ut Fl West Bridvelst Edward
Hydorn. father o; the dead man. lives
on n farm four miles out on the river
road
In direct violation of the crty ordin-
ence the Street Car Company had its
troIly wire charged with electricity
without first putting up the reeui-
site guard wires