The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-06-27
HE WAS FRIGHTENED.
C0r0ner's Jury Decides That the Flash
Caused Patrick O'BOyle to Jump
from the Electric Car.

jury sworn to inquire into the cause of
the death of Patrick OBoyle. met in the
arbitration room of the court house last
night and the testimony Of several wit
nesses was heard. Court Stenographer
Willis ID. Coston took down what was
sworn to: Attorney II. j. Duggan APP
reared in the interest of O'Boyle's two
children, and eX-Judge w. Fl. Jessup
was present as counsel for the Scranton
Traction company. Mr.. Duggan Is pre-
pairing to bring suit against the COM
pany.
The verdict was as follows: I'VE, the
undersigned jurors, believe that Pat
rick O'Boyle came to his death from
conclusion of the brain caused by his
jumping or falling from moving car of
this Scranton Traction company, and
that his said falling or jumping was due
to his being frightened by a flash from
the controller in the front of the car
Edward NJ. Pennypacker. ID. S. Ryan
w. p. Kingsbury, r. +. Mellon. Thomas
T.. Canavan and J. j. Herman
JUMPED FROM THE CAR.
OBoyle was riding on Dunmore Su-
burban car which left the end Of the
line in Dunmore on Friday night, June
10, at 10.40 When the car reached u
point near the Suburban Electric Light
warks ON North Washington avenua,
the flash mentioned in the verdict shot
out of the switch box in the front of
the car and scared him so that he
jumped uD from where he was sitting
near the stove and ran to the hind plat
form ind of onto the asphalt pavement.
His injuries resulted In death the next
night at the Lackawanna hospital.
Postmaster Frank Mcdonald, Of Dun
more. was the first witness. The track
on North Washington avenue between
Oak street and point half way be-
tween that and the electric light works
was being repaired and passengers had
to be transferred. Mr.. Mcdonald and
M. b. O'Horo were sitting on pile of
ties waiting for a Dunmore car to come
down and they noticed as the car on
which O'Boyle rode was about opposite
the electric lights works that blaze of
light flashed up in front of the car and
extended to the roof of it. They heard
that man had been injured by falling
or jumping off that car.
Frank M. Knight, the only other pas
senger on the car, swore that he got
on at New York street, paid his fare,
and then went to the front platform, as
he was smoking. He spoke few words
to O'Boyle. knight said that after the
car passed Larch street the conductor
came out to give him a transfer and
just then the blaze shot out from the
switchbox. He got scared and bolted
inside the car, the motorman was scared
and the blaze singed knights coat. The
car was going SO that he would attempt
neither to get off or on. He saw O'Boyle
jump and go out the back door, told
the conductor and they afterwards went
back and picked him up.
TWENTY MILES AN HOUR.
John Kennedy. Charles Judge and
Conrad Miller, who We're sitting at the
corner Of Larch street, tested that the
car was going about twenty miles an
hour and they testified to seeing the
blaze Of light. Miller fixed the rate of
speed from knowing what time he can
make on his bicycle. He said he can
pedal to Carbondale in less than an
hour and he cannot go any faster than
the car went by Larch street. The
point where the accident occurred is a
short distance below there.
Conductor Morris Brown and Motor
man John Gibbons fixed the speed of
| the car at between seven and ten miles
an hour Gibbons has railrno dad ,,,.
teen years. Brown said that the flash
occurs quite frequently and does not
have a tendency to scare the passengers.
Gibbons examined the controller and
found the insulation burned off one of
the wires. The conductor reported the
controller as needing repairing.