Evening journal., 1892-12-07

Forge AGeoted Peace's BIlnd-Men Say
the oraue Was Safe with Ordinary
Care.
In the afternoon session Of the Superior
Court yesterday Joseph T. Turner
Charles Woodbridge, Mrs Mary Cummins,
Mrs Margaret Davis, William + Bruce,
Mrs. Eliz beth Jones, Mrs. Annie Good
win, Thomas j. Gainor, Mrs. Letitia Dom
ovan, Mrs Phena Forley, William A.
Harvey. Charles NJ Whitelock, Mrs.
Mary Quinn and Dr. J.. T. " Blocksom
gave testimony as to the condition and
suffering of Harry r.. Peace the young
man who was injured by the crane at the
Johnson forge.
DR.. Joseph p. Pyle testified that Peace
was unconscious when taken TO his home.
Mrs Rebecca Peace, widow Of the
suicide. testified that she and her hus
band had been married ten years. With
the exception Of one week. in the first
year of their married life he had lost no
time on account of sickness. On March
9 he said II am going to bed one more
night | don't know whether / will go
onother night | hope | may die
suffer so. He killed himself on Thurs
day morning, March 3. His earning
capacity was S12 week. Court then ad-
iourned until 10 o'clock this mording.
The first witness called by Mr. Bird
this morning was DIR. Howard Ogle. He
testified that he was called TO Peaces
house bv telephone message He visited
the house several times He thought
that the conclusion could have caused
melanoholia. There were no external
signs of wounds after they had had time
TO heal. "We did not find any muscular
waste. / thought from his actions at
the time Of the examination that he was
feigning, l afterwards came to the con
elnsion that his actions were due to
mental trouble If he had possessed the
will to walk he could have walked; but
his mind was diseased.
Bird-"Assuming that he had only
been sick for one week in nine years
might not that mental condition have
been caused by the injuries receivedr'
81 think it might
Walter l.. Peace, brother OF the
deceased, testified that before the acci-
dent his brother was strong man; after
the accident he was like a different
man. 81,
Nields-"Was he hurt in Chester2'
''Yes by n peel His arm was hurt. l
don't know whether IL was broken. That
was before he was married. He never
complained Of II in after years.
Mrs. Peace wus called and said that
e She never heard her husband complain
F Of the injury Of the arm.
d Lucius Jones testified that he saw
Z Peace. He seemed 70 be In great pam
and said he was no good to hlmseit OF
3 anyone else: that he had better be dead.
: THAT was two OF three days before he
{ committed suicide.
Joseph Shelling and Robert McCul-
Tough testified to the fact that Peace
was not in the habit of using the crane.
The plaintiff then rested.
q Colonel Nields opened the case for the
defense. He said that one side OF story
e remains good until the other Is told He
h would show that the crane was used
# from twenty TO twenty four times every
twentv.four hours That cranes used in
It rolling mills where they are in constant
s nse are never provided with appliances
G such as claimed by the defense should
d have. That the crane was on the i'm
e proved plan and, when used
with usual care, was absolutely
{ safe. That the testimony that
ie the wheels were in motion when the
d gear slipped was absolutely untrue. IL
# was an impossibility- He would SHOW
n that Peace was n roller and accustomed
~ | TO tine WnIhlMk "a AAAh'' NhN "'"N'@~N
d the responsibility and duty of working
81 the crane In connection with his other
e. work
ne He would produce men who had worked
v at the crane with him time and time
st again. If the gearing slipped
lf IL was due to the voluntary act Of Peace
IN and his helper while the machine was al
" "A standstill. The only repair made te
lh the machine after the accident was tC
straighten one of the handles. The
o. crane was absolutely safe if used will
ut ordinary care. Any crane is dangeroul
in careless hands If there was an,
contributary negligence the plaintiff
cannot recover.
Evidence for the Defense.
James Finley. a blacksmith employel
eg I'm Norristown Pa, had seen the johnson
se Forge crane. He saw it from July 1S9
Ic- 10 April 1892 He Strengthened tn
a handle He remembered the acciden
ed and had worked the crane. 1t was i'm
an possible for the cranegear to sli
pr from slow to fast while il
is motion. Il would be NOR
Is dangerous in the low lifts made in rollin
IRE mills for a man to reach over and tnro'
ed the ratchet than to stand and hold tn
lm handle The 1000 pounds on the Gran
/
On and make it more difficult to push
be from the slow to the fast gear. He COZ
ew s.dered the crane safe. The Allen Woo
5 Mill in Conshohocken has from ten
nd twelve Of the same model The rop
slipping from the drum would not hav
'il any harmful effect.
Did Not Consider IL Dangerous.
Clement Palmer, formerly an employ
of the johnson Forge company, but no
employed in Shenandoah Va, said he ha
rs worked the crane and did not consider
ge' dangerous. He never knew anybody
a., be hurt by IT,.
IN Andrew Worrell, foundryman in Il
ac1 employ Of the Remington Machine con
'er; pany. testified that he used cram
OF There is a guard on it but it is not use
9so as it is useless. It is impossible for Il
ne wheels to slip from the slow to the fal
ing while in notion Such an attempt wou
@on, @ lock the machinery.
'wnii He was on the stand when court a
- iourned for the noon recess.