The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1897-12-07
IN THE DISTRICT COURT
Mrs. Sloan Gets Verdict
Against the Company.
IN THE EXPLOSION CASE
The Jury Gives Her Judgment of
$4,000 for the Death of Her Hus-
band-An Appeal Will Be Taken
on the Non-Suit Decision.

Mrs. Amelia Sloan got a verdict
against the Kenyon Connell Commercial
company for $4,000, for the death of
her husband, John +. Sloan, former as
Sistant fire chief, who was one of the
victims of the powder explosion in the
kenyon Council warehouse on Jan. 10,
1856. The verdict, which had been re-
1urned in sealed form Saturday night.
was opened in Judge Lindsay's court
yesterday morning. The verdict is the
largest one yet obtained against the
company and is doubtless due to the
excellent conduct of the case for the
plaintiff by Judge Melville G. Brown of
composed of Louis Gaynor, Herman
johnson, Bart Harrington August
jackson. Thomas Morris. Patrick
Downey, A. w. Buse, Charles Dilger.
Thomas Walsh, Fred Richards, George
w. Gregg and II. Strasburger. The jury
was not polled, but it is understood that
they We're unanimous for the verdict
and it took them only about an hour
and half TO agree on it. Mrs Sloan
had sued for $4,000. After the verdict
had been received Judge Brown asked
that the other two cases, in which he
appeared as counsel for Mrs. Mary
Sloan, be continued indefinitely and the
settings vacated. He explained that the
case just tried raised a question which
might determine the others-the ques-
ZION bI the Oh
the company, as to whom Judge Lind
say granted a non-suit An appeal on
that question will be taken to the SUI
preme court and if the ruling of Judge
Lindsay is sustained it will settle the
cases, as judgment against the COM
pany alone is worthless. The same ques-
ton was raised in the case of Mrs.
Cameron, which is now pending in the
supreme court. The only other explo-
sion case now awaiting trial in the dis
trict court is that in which Mary Il.
Brink is plaintiff. Her attorney, John
"A. Shelton, stated in court yesterday
morning that they desired to go to trial
with the Brink case, as he had some
questions to present in that case that
We're not raised in the other cases The
trial Will be reached this afternoon or
Io-morrow.
So far four cases have been tried TIE
first, over a year ago, was that of So
Dhia Goddard and others. in which the
plaintiffs secured a verdict for ST, 900
for the death of Albert +. Goddard The
second suit was that of Joseph Miano.
who got verdict for $1,000 for per-
sonal injuries. and the third was the
case Of Mrs. Minnie Cameron. widow of
the fire chief, in which case the jury re-
turned a verdict for the defendant COM
pany, although the testimony in that
case was identical with that in the
Goddard. Milano and Sloan eases The
company's defense in all cases was that
the explosion which killed nearly two
score Of people did not come from the
Kenyon Connell warehouse which was
on fire. but that it came from the ware
house of the Butte Hardware company.
about % feet distant and in which there
was not known TO be any fire at that
time.
After the verdict in the Sloan case
had been received yesterday morning
Judge Lindsay adjourned his court for
fhe day out of respect to the memory of
John G. Robinson, an attorney of the
bar. who died at Deer Lodge Sunday
afternoon.
The mining injunction case of J. j
Gamblers against William Lowney and
Others will come up for hearing this
morning and at its conclusion the Brink
damage suit will be taken up