Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-22
Officer ]. M. McAvoy Will
Testify To-Day That Fire
man Cookies Life
COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED,
he Fell From the George Shiras and
Lodged Under Barge.
THE FIRST yICTIMOF A NEW ROAD.
George Simmerer Drops Dead While Wash
ing His Face.
THE GgDT OF A BATHER RECOVERED

Officer j. NJ. McAvoy, who witnessed the
drowning of J. NJ. Cookies, the fireman on
the towboat, George Shiras, Saturday even
ing will give some sensational evidence at
the inquest to-day. The drowning took
place just below the Sixth street bridge on
the Pittsburg side. A tow of several coal
boats was being pushed into an open space
near the shore to the wharf boat. Officer
McAvoy was walking along Duquesne way
watching the boats when young Cookies was
tumbled into the river
The officers story follows: "When saw
the young fellow he was walking along the
gunwhale of the outside barge, quite dis
tance from the boat Another man was
walking toward him, and just as they were
about to pass each other the barges seemed
to jolt, as if they had bumped against
smother boat. As it appeared to me the
young fellow was shaken off by the jar and
fell in alongside the barges. 1 watched to
see them pull him out, but to my surprise
no notice seemed to be paid to the man.
Threw a Plank to Cookies.
f'The other man who had been near
walked leisurely across the boats and picked
up board, which he threw into the water,
but Cookies had gone under the barges and
the board floated on down the river.
'The other men on the boat all TINS time
were paving no attention to the matter and,
realizing the poor fellow was being allowed
to drown without any attempt to save him,
/ ran down and boarded the boat. The
first man 1 spoke to was the captain. 1
H. 90 Il
thing to get the man out, but he only gave
me an impudent reply. 1 told him he
ought to be ashamed of himself and the
other officers as well, to allow man to die
like that. His reply was: You've got
- of a lot to say about it.
The Barses Finally Moved Away.
''To this / answered that would prob
ably have more to say, but begged him to
move the barges and make an effort to save
the man. He paid no attention to me, told
me was too fresh and ordered me off the
boat. But other people came and de-
manded the barges be moved until the cap
tain was finally compelled to move them.
1t was nearly half an hour after Cookies fell
in before the barges were towed away and
the body was found Just about where he fell
in, probably ten feet under the barges.
81 am satisfied that Cookies ;life could
have been saved if an effort had been made
by the boat crew. 1t could have been done
either BY moving the barges at once or by
letting a man down after him by a rope.
The captain refused even to give me his
name or that of any man on the boat, but
learned from another source that his
name Is Frank Gould.
VIII Toll 1t to the Coroner
'T will tell all know about the case to
the Coroner's jury, and have subpenaed
several persons who witnessed the whole
proceeding to appear at the inquest. Such
ccld-blooded heartlessness as was exhibited
by the men on that boat / had never before
seen" An attempt was made to find Cap
tain Gould last night to get his side of the
story, but his boat could not be located and
he could not be found.
In the absence OF the Coroner Magistrate
Gripp will hold the inquest to-day. He
could not be seen last night, but Coroner's
Clerk Grant Miller said that if the officers
story should be substantated it would
show objectionable negligence if not worse
The case will be thoroughly investigated.
The body of the drowned man was sent to
the home of his PEOPLE at Sistersville, w.
Va, yesterday. He was only 81 years of
age, but a splendidly developed man.
Strange as 1t may appear in a river man,
Cookies could not SWIM a stroke His death
is probably due to that fact to large extent