The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-06-25
EASTMAN,
SCHLEICHER
- & LEE
KILLED BY LIGHTNING
SAM NEWMAN, A NEGRO LABORER.
STRUCK BY AN ELECTRIC BOLT.
y:is Wife Injured-Two Houses I'm VII
cinity of III Elizabeth Street
Were Struck.

Sam Newman, a colored hod carrier resid-
ing at III Elizabeth street, was killed by a
shock from lightning during the thunder
storm yesterday evening.
Between and o'clock a thunderbolt
struck the chimney over the kitchen of the
house. The front part OF the house is two
stories high, and the rear is one story with
an attic. The force of the lightning caved
In the chimney; and the thunderbolt, cours-
ing down the chimney. was diverted by
the stovepipe into the stoves in the kitch-
ems on either side OF the house. which is a
double one. Both stoves were shattered
into fragments and piled in a heap upon
the floor Of the kitchen, with cooking uten-
sis. brick. mortar and timbers from the
house. The force of the lightning tore a
hole about three feet square in the roof
OF the attic over the kitchen, and the
falling of the chimney through the ceiling
made an opening fully six feet square.
The kitchen was shut off to itself at the
time the house was struck, and Newman
and his wife were in the front part of the
house.
Newman felt the shock very distinctly.
as did his wife, and he arose and went to
the kitchen to see what damage had been
done. When he opened the door a volume
Of dust. smoke and sulphurous fumes
poured into the house. He began TO feel
sick at the stomach, and turned from the
kitchen and walked out into the front
yard. He complained Of pains in the alb
domen, but did not seem to be injured.
Within about twenty minutes after the
house was struck, and while he was still
walking about the house, he fell to the
floor He was dead before a doctor could
be summoned, and it is presumed he was
dead when he fell.
DIR. Furnis was called from the City Hos
pital, but Newman was dead before the
physician arrived, and he turned his atten-
ton TO Mrs. Newman, who was complain
ing OF great pains In the abdomen. She
was removed to the next house, the inmates
Of which did not suffer at all from the
shock. DR.. Furnis said last night that he
did not think her case serious. She prob
ably received slight shock, and the pains
Of which she complained were probably
caused by this, but no serious consequences
are anticipated from it, and the doctor
thinks she will soon recover. 1t is thought
that Newman'S death was not wholly due
to the shock, which probably was not Sc
we're enough to cause death of itself The
physician is inclined to believe that the
shock was aided by heart disease, which
Is thought to be the immediate cause of
death. He was also afflicted with dropsy
and had undergone several operations 10
secure relief from this disease.
Another house in the vicinity was also
struck by lightning just moment prior
10 the time that Newman's residence was
struck The other house was one occu-
pied by Thomas Cuthrell, a laborer, reSid-
Ing at No. 50 Rhode Island street, but lit
tie more than a block distant from the
Newman residence. and the line of the
Blake-street electric line. Little damage
was done 10 the property at this place and
all Of them felt the shock. The Newman
residence stands on the south side OF Eliz-
abeth street at the intersection OF Locke
street, just opposite the curve in the cleo
trio line as ii comes from Locke on TO Eliza
beth street. Several colored people residing
in the vicinity claim to have seen the
ball of lightning which struck both houses
flying along the trolley wire of the electric
line. One colored woman says she saw
large ball OF blue flame shoot along the
trolley wire, and saw II leGve the wire and
Newman house. She thought the bolt, aft
er striking the residence of Cuthrell.
glanced of and was attracted TO the troll
ley wire, and was by IL conducted along
10 the curve. where 1t shot straight for
ward and struck the chimney. The effect
of the lightning stroke upon the colored
people residing in the neighborhood was
somewhat amusing. A large number of
them Immediately sought their homes and
besougnt communion with the Lord in
prayer. They seemed TO be greatly alarmed
and more prayers were probably offered
up in that vicinity and with more fervor
day past.
Assistant Coroner Carey responded to the
summons for the coroner and viewed the
body at the house An autopsy will proba-
bly, be held to-day % determine the exact
cause OF Newman's death.