The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1896-01-31
FOUND In THE SHAFT
The Body of Tom Maxwell Recovered
and Brought to Town.
CRUSHED BY THE CAVE-lN
It 10 Supposed That He Was Killed
About the First of the Month
He Was an Industrious
and Honest Man.

--sa ,oa,s If the friends of Thomas
n Maxwell were confirmed yesterday
by the finding of his body In the pol-
tom of the shaft on the LWlh ~
claim, in Dry Cottonwood canyon. Inc
searchers discovered the body on
"wednesday afternoon and IL took
them two hours to get IL out OF the
mine. p. c. Shannon and Henry CAS-
per were digging in the SHAFT. Ihey
found the body lying west OF the iau-
der buried under the tmbers ana
loose dirt which had dropped uoWn
from the crown of the shaft. lie lalo
upon his side his arms crossed ana
his head forward on his breast. A
hammer was by his side and matters
looked as though he had been at work
on the ladder when the cave struck
him. His head was crushed by the
rock, and his body Is covered Win
bruises. He wore a handkerchief ana
a cap on his head. In his pocket there
was rs cents and cap box out 10
papers. -.
Nessrs. shannon and Casper assert
that the cause of the cave-in was that
the timbers in the shaft were not
properly keyed as they judged from
the shape and form of the wedges
which Maxwell had used.
The body was mangled almost be-
yond recognition and the early Stages
Acting Coroner J. NJ. Kennedy held
an inquest, inquirng into the circum-
stances OF the. death, which have been
previously reported in these columns.
The jury composed of b. Radefeld, A.
Fortier c. w. Haynes, Il. Falk, }. Is.
Keefe and w. c. Haynes, returned
verdict of accidental death.
The remains are held at Ehrets un-
dertaking rooms and will be held until
relatives can be found or friends take
action for the interment.
The fate of Tom Maxwell is one OF
the saddest occurrences OF uhe year
HIS lonely life, the sudden, fearfui
death in the shaft. the solitude which
reigned and hid his death from the
world for a month after II happened
and the accidental discovery that was
missing are painful memories. He was
q loyal friend warm-hearted and gen.
erous, worthy of a happier END. NO
much is known about his history; what
is known Is learned in the indefinite
way which is learned by the Casual
mention which one friend makes TO an
other of his past.
He had a cabin at No. 8 Chestnut
street. near Commercial, which he rent
ed, and where ne made his home. III NJ
had property nothing Is known abou
Il. but a search for documents he l.
known to have possessed may throw
further light upon thdt tO-udy' anu a.
upon his relatives. He is believed z
have been a bachelor but II Is though
he has a brother IN Ohio.
He worked at one time I'm a pottery II
or around Youngstown, Ohio, IRON
whence he went to Northern California
and engaged in placer mining for some }.
or Is years at Laporte, Plumas county
and the surrounding country From Cal
ifornia he went to Puget sound and work
cd at railroad building on several diner
ent roads. He also worked on the North
ern Pacific construction In Idaho anC
Montana. He had been In Anaconda
about 10 years, and during that time ha'
sevel al different occupations, at one tim
working at the smelter. He was princi
pally engaged In mining. however. up e
January, 1893 when he went TO work al
linenan for the Rocky Mountain Teie
graph company. He was also employed
at one time as an electric light linemal
I'm this city. He severed his connection
with the Rocky Mountain company afte
a period of service of about six months
lie again took up mining after this an
worked a quartz mine about IL mile
southwest of the city during the winte
Of 1884. In the summer of 1895 he work
ed a placer mine in French gulch, and a
the close of the season in placer mining
he went to work on the Twin Tree claim
where he met his death. He was abou
81 years of age. and was born in Count,
Tyronne, ireland. His full name wa
Thomas G. Maxwell.