The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-05-28
ogden BUREAU.
W ------~--------------~--
business and Editorial ONCE 519
Utah Loan & Trust Building.
Telephone 13o.
ogden, May Is.
NO ONE RLA,rEn. Rur =

The inquest over the remains of the
man supposed to be James w. Mullen,
killed Monday at camp No. on the
power dam work, was held yesterday.
Coroner Hall inapaneled the following
jury: w. S. Lewis, Albern Allen and
E. H. Nye Considerable unfavorable
comment was expressed that the I'M
dertakers, acting doubtless by instruc-
ton from the contractors, had pro-
ceeded to prepare the body for burial,
and taken charge of his effects with
out permission from the coroner. The
jury demanded that the wound be re-
stored to its original form and DR..
Joyce accommodated them by taking
out the stitches. He also told briefly
and concisely his knowledge of the
case, explaining the immediate cause
of death, and related about his visit
to the injured man. He repeated this
testimony at the regular inquest.
James hurry was the next witness
called. He was, in plain language,
drunk-yery drunk. He fired the
blast by the foreman's direc-
lions. The foreman was Sandy
Faddis. The shot, he said, was
fired about 1:20 The proper hour for
firing shots was from IL TO i p. m. or
from 6 to a. m. He judged the tent
was 300 or 400 yards from the shot.
The rock went through the stone pipe
hole and struck the man. The fore
man had told the witness that every
thing was all right and TO fire the
shot,
Il escaped by running and taking
refuge under big boulder. ] had the
place spotted There was another
man under there. but 1 took him by
the neck and flung him out, see.''
This particular shot was what is
called "dobe" shot. The powder was
laid in a seam and covered over to
that he knew nothing whatever about
rock work
DR.. Joyce, after repeating the testi-
mony as above mentioned, stated that
he went up to the camp, having been
notified by Mr.. Rhodes. He arrived
there at exactly $50. He knew because
he looked at his watch when he got
out of his buggy, He had been at the
hospital camp at the mouth of the
canyon and had taken dinner there
according to his custom. He must
have arrived at his Office about l or
ITO. He had just taken a man into
his office when he heard of the acct
dent. 1t must have taken him about
half an hour to drive the five miles.
John e. Hanson, from Sanpete, an
employee of Harkins, testified that he
worked under Faddis, helping to load
holes, etc. 1t was just after resuming
work that they loaded the hole. 1t
took, he thought, about fifteen minutes
to load and fire the "dobe' or mud
blast. He had heard the foreman give
orders ito go down and tell the people
to look out for the flying rocks" He
judged the distance to the tents was
about 600 feet. 1t was extraordinary
that the rock should be thrown so far.
He thought about an hour elapsed pc
fore the doctor got there. In his judg-
ment all ordinary precautions were
taken.
Mr.. Faddis' testimony was much the
same as that of Hanson. He explained
that he quit at 11:50, returned to work
about an hour later and fired the shot
about l o'clock. He had given ample
warning to all men in and about the
work and camp.
Deputy Sheriff Sullivan testified as
to the position of the camp and the
work; thought the blast was about 500
feet from the tents.
E. NJ. Allison, jr, was present, rep
resenting the contractors, and LIE
Grand Young representing the Pioneer
Electric Power company. Mr.. Young
merely established the fact that the
men were working for Mr.. Harkins-
not for the Pioneer Electric Power
company The verdict of the jury was
as follows:
State of Utah, County of Weber:
An inquisition holden at Ogden City
county of Weber, on the 9th day of
May, A D. 1896. before Joseph Hall
coroner of said county. upon the body
of James w. Mullen, there lying dead
by the jurors whose names are hereun-
to subscribed.
The said jurors on their oaths do say
! that the said James w. Mullen came tc
| his death by being struck on the head
| by rock propelled by a blast of pow
/ der exploded in the course of the con-
! struction of the Pioneer Electric Pow
er companys works in Ogden canyon
| Weber county, on Tuesday, the 18th
! day of May. 1896, and that the killing
! was accidental
The jurors further say that in the
1 future more care should be exercised by
! those whose duty it is not only in Civ
! ing proper warning to all persons en-
! dangered, but also in locating the com
/ pany's tents at a safer distance from
the blasting points.
WILLIAM S. LEWIS,
ALBERN ALLEN,
EPHRAIM II. NYE.
Attest. JOSEPH HIATT, Coroner