Great Falls weekly tribune., 1895-01-25
sThe Coroner and His Jury Begin an
II Investigation OF the Butte
# Horror.
"a
PLANS PROPERLY LAID OUT
Nv. II. Kenyon, One Of the Warehouse
Owners, the First Witness
on the Stand.

sAstion ie directed to the coroners jury of
Bix of Butte's best known citizens who
n have been impanelled to ascertain by
& whose criminal and objectionable negi-
gence 80 or more souls were hurled with
4 out seconds warning into the presence
Of their Creator. Never before in the
history of the state has there been cor
Soner's jury upon whom rested greater
\ Responsibility and nothing short of a
most thorough and complete investga-
< tion will satisfy the demands of justice.
The jury is composed of the following
citizens: William w Adams, w. FL
n Gehrman, o. p. Blaine, Harvey S. Cul-
Il lom, ). f. Kelly and Harry S. Tuttle.
IL The inquest was called for ten o'clock
this morning in the council chamber at
the city hall. A number of lawyers were
present in the interest of the various
people affected in one way or another by
Stne catastrophe. James W. Forbis rep,
Y resented the Kenyon Connell CONNER
cial Company; F. r. Mcbride was pres
gsnt for the Butte Hardware Company,
and Judge Clancy represented the
Butte Workingmen's Union. After the
jury had been sworn by Coroner Rich
ards to make true and diligent inquiry
+ into the death of George Fifer and others
Z the names of about 40 witnesses we're
called, among whom was w. r. Kenyon,
who was present.
A number of the witnesses are yet
confined in the hospitals and it is likely
that the jury will visit them to secure
their testimony.
n County Attorney Wines and Acting
Assistant County Attorney Matteson
were present in the interest of the state.
Mr.. Wines conducted the examination of
the witnesses. Thomas Z. Baker of the
firm of Baker & Harper was the first
witness. Mr.. Baker had been instructed
by the county attorney to make large
drawing of the buildings occupied by
the kenyon-C -Connell Commercial com
pany and the Butte Hardware company
This diagram was to be used in the :x-
animation of witnesses. Many of the
spectators at the fire on Tuesday night
were men who remembered exactly the
location Of the buildings in which the
explosion occurred but did not know
who the owners were. and it was thought
a diagram would be very convenient IN
orri,yS l,
number of spectators present when the
jury convened at , o'clock for the after
moons session. Mr.. Wines opened the
investigation by stating that number
OF attorneys were present in the inter
est of various companies or organila-
tions, and that q number of them had
requested that they be allowed to cross
examine the Witnesses Ia his opinion
this proceeding would not be wise,
Tor the reason that, if al
lowed, it would be solely for
the purpose of confusing the wit,
nesses. The inquest, he said, was sim
ply to ascertain the truo facts surround-
ing the deaths of the men who lost their
lives in the explosion. Under these cir
cumstanceg, he said, no cross -examina-
tion should be allowed Under such a
course it would take at least six weeks
TO complete the inquest. Mr. Wines
said that every opportunity would be
given to every witness TO tell all he knew
of the sad affair In this connection he
desired to add that the duties of his
office and the Office of coroner require IA
most careful scrutiny of every detail
connected with the accident. As many
of the city employees had fallen victims,
he asked that City Attorney John W.
Cotter be present to represent the city.
W. IT, Kenyon testified that he is the
vice president of the Kenyon Connell
Commercial Company. On the night of
the explosion he was at his residence and
started down south of the city after the
second explosion. lie could rot state in
what portion of the building the rabble
heads were stored. The company usually |
stored its powder at magazine three
miles from the city. The last consign-
mont had been received about three
weeks ago and consisted of one car or
about ten TONS The custom. as far AS
MS knowledge goes, if an order was re-
celved for ten boxes, two extra boxes
were taken from the magazine and
uroppeu OIL at the warehouse Where
an order for one box was received, the
orlVer would probably take in severa!
boxes. Mr.. Kenyon said he had not
visited the scene of the explosion, and
was unable to give an estimate of the
luahtity OF powder that exploded. There
was no oil nor any other explosives
''oreo there tc his knowledge. MIR.