Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-08-26

Testimony ELECTED at the Coroner's In.
quest-The Verdict Given.


Hospital yesterday afternoon and there in the
morgue viewed the body of John T. Freeman.
whose death resulted from falling into the
scading hot water at the power house wednes-
day morning. The body was not even in an
ice chest. as the hospital does not possess such
a luxury. but a plain, cheap coffin that is used
by undertakers for removing the dead WAS
utilized for a cooling board. Around the body
were the bandages which had been used BY the
surgeons to dress the wounds, and Coroner
Patterson described to the six men who COM
posed the jury the nature of the decsased's
injuries.
After viewing the body the Jury repaired to
the power house TO view the place where the
deceased fell through the opening in the pave
ment. They returned to the hospital where
the witnesses appeared and made their state
ments.
THE DOCTORS TESTIMONY.
DIR. J. karr testified that he first saw the
patient between and 10 O'Clock yesterday
morning. He was suffering from shock and
collapse. the result of the severe burns. His
condition was serious when witness first saw
him, and his death resulted from the burns and
scalds.
DIR. Heinecke testified that when the patient
was brought to the hospital he able to talk.
Witness could not say that the man was under
tnt IuHuence OF q NARCOTIC. he Ola not tnlnk tnat
the burns could have been received by throw
ing water on his clothing.
Dr. harr was recalled and he told Of the
patients statement to him. Mr. Freeman said
he fell into the pit and when he found himself
submerged he caught hold of a pipe and ex-
tricated himself, calling for assistance all the
time. There no clustering above the thighs.
When questioned witness described how, III his
opinion, the bruises and scalds were received
Witness said that the deceased did not die di-
rectly from the shock, but that congestion Of
the brain was the immediate cause and it re-
suited from the accident.
JEREMIAH GIBsoN's EVIDENCE.
jeremiah Gibson, colored. testified that he
was at the stable opposite the power house
when his attention attracted by q man
running and he also heard the screams of the
man. When witness got there the man had
gotten out Of the pool and he said: For
Gods sake help me: l am scalded to death"
Witness said he took hold of the man and he
was so hot that he burned witness arm. He
walked few feet and then dropped
Witness was questioned as to the temperature
of the water and he said: II put my hand In it
and it burned me. 1t was hot enough to scald
a hog and it's evidently known that it would
scald a man. Witness said that the water
about ten feet deep.
PHILIP A. RYAN's STORY.
Philip A. Ryan testified that he was standing
on Pennsylvania avenue when he heard screams
FIVE or six times. He said there was nothing
about there to warn him of danger. and he
ran over the hole through which Mr.. Freeman
had fallen. Witness described how the man
found on the floor where he had crawled
from the pool, and told Of his removal to the
hospital. The witness said that the mans
clothes and body were hot. The man said that
there was nothing to warn him of danger. and
being able to swim he reached the side of the
pool and climbed out by taking hold of the
pipe. Witness said it was well known that a
shoulders out Of water. and that's how he ac-
counted for the unfortunate mans face not
being burned
CoRROBoRATIvE TESTIMONY.
". d. McGiveru, who WAS with Mr. Ryan
that morning. gave similar testimony. One Of
the men there, LIE said, found the dead mans
hat floating in the water.
George Q. Acton. another member of the
same party, was called. and he corroborated
what his companions said. He said that some
trouble was experienced in locating the man,
which was done by his cry Of "Oh. my Godr'
When found he WAS lying on the floor with his
feet near the pool and his hat was floating on
the water.
THERE WAS NO LIGHT.
Joseph Ardigo gave similar testimony, did
]. II. Jones. The latter heard cries Of help and
he ran 70 the power house, thinking some one
was numbering the Waterman. There was no
light there and witness furnished some matches.
In the meantime colored man with q lantern
reached there and then they found the man.
He said he saw no barricade there that night
nor did he see any light. After returning from
the hospital there was no covering on the hole
for he went there and examined it. For dis
lance of twenty-five or thirty feet north Of c
street he said the pavement was perfectly clear
and beyond that was the corrugated iron and
crosspieces put in to hold the concrete.
Jas. Mclaughlin. who was with JONES' gave
corroborative testimony. He was one Of the
first persons to reach there, and the man said:
For Gods sake do something for me-" When
witness took hold of the mans trousers he
found them so hot that he had to let 60. Wit
ness asked the man how he got in there. and he
replied: Il was coming along the street and
fell in"
THE WATERWAYS STATEMENT.
J. s. Bailey. Waterman at the building. testi-
fed that he was on the other side of the build
ing when he heard cries Of help Witness
said that there was a gangway through viii h
the man may have gone into the building. and
near II was another catchpool of warm water
He said II was very hot III there and il is a very
dangerous place. Witness could not say how
he got in there.
What the condition of the approach to
"HSiS AS 40 ouPPooSN " nave 6Out
asked the coroner.
NO COVERING TO THE HOLE.
Witness said that all the holes with one ex-
ception were covered and that was the one
where the pool was. That. he thought, was left
open because there is pipe running through it
and also because of the light obtained thereby
There was nothing there to warn pedestrians of
the hole. Witness noticed no pile of lumber on
the sidewalk there. for if there had been he
would have put a light on it There was & small
pile of broken brick on the sidewalk The
stree. lamps were lighted. but the company had
no lights out there because there was no OBJ
etruction.
Myer Fisher testified that he was sitting at
his front door on street and he heard four
distinct calls for help. When he reached the
power house he the steam and 80 he did not
go in.
Il. Glove was the last witness called He was on
duty watching the fires and keeping people out of
the building he heard the man $ screams and he
thought some of the employees were calling for
tools When he reached the scene Of the accident
the man had been taken out Witness said that
he had put lantern on a pile of bricks on the
street not far from the hole. There was another
lamp on a sand pile.
SUPERINTENDENT CLARK.
j. ]. Clark, superintendent of the power
house building. was called 10 tell Of the condi-
ton of the street and sidewalk the night before