The Newtown bee., 1894-10-26

TRICT DRIVES INTO A PIT IN BETHEL.
 DEATH ENsUEs FROM sUFFoCATIoN.
 On Tuesday afternoon, William H
 Beers If Hopewell district started for Danbury, for beef. He stopped and talked in Bethel with the men who were digging a hole near the middle of the road In front of the $. II. Hickock house for the purpose of burying the roots of large elm tree, Ia order to widen the road. Peter Mcdonald and Oscar Bates had the contract for this job. At S.30 o'clock Mir Beers returned, in company with German, who worked for F. w. Platt. As they neared the hole, which was about l6 feet across aud l5 feet deep, Wallace Huse, who was on on the side. walk nearby, called to them that they could not drive tn there where lanterns were hung. But not needing the warn. Ing, if it was heard, they drove ou, and the horse and wagon turned complete somersault, throwing both men to the bottom of the hole. Mir Huse gave the alarm and Edgar T. Andrews was the first on the spot and got at once into the hole where the horse was foundeIing and made every effort to save the men. Mr Beers called to have the German pulled off from him. MT Andrews pulled him out finding him badly intoxicated, and before getting him out, the bank Con which several people had gethered) eayed In, covering Mir Beers with about five feet of earth. Help arrived and the horse was gotten out and the dirt shov. eled out. But MT Beers had met his death by suirocation before he could be reached. Mir Andrews at once sent One of his teams to notify the family and another to take the body to Undertaken Sanford's, after Medical Examiner Bar Der had pronounced his death caused by smothering by falling dirt from the em- bankment. The supposition is that no pole had been put up after the days work ceased and by the light of lanterns nothing prevented the driving into the pit. Aside from his farm work, MT Beers had followed the butchering busi- ness and had made many friends by his genial nature. He was highly respected In his neighborhood for his generous sympathy and thUughtfulness in time of need. He was 57 years, nine months and seven days old, and leaves wife and three children, Robert w., who has a meat market in Waterbury, Sarah E., wife of E...Maurice Botsford, at Botsford, and John NJ. Beers, living at home. The funeral was held from his late residence at p. m, Thursday, October 25, Rev MT Pillsbury ofliciqtiug. The interment was in the Newtown cemetery. In re- gard to the accident our special cores pondent In Bethel writes: "I was at the the place, Monday evening, for an item for THE BEE, between and o'clock. found the lights all right and could see all wished. drove up to the bank of dirt in the road and got out and walked partly around the pit to see the depth of the hole. The big stump bad been drop- ped over into the hole but was not low enough to clear the travel, consequently the workmen had dug to the east and were digging under to drop the stump down out of the way. Mir Beers must have forced his horse beyond the stump along the edge of the pit and on to the dirt thrown out. The horse may have gone through all right, but the wagon would be sure to turn over, bottom up. Mir Be rs was probably in tho bottom of the pit before the hors, or wagon, and went down head-frst where he could not help himself, and very soon suffoca- ted. Some parties think they heard him cry for help. The German was badly intoxicated, but escaped unhurt.