Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1897-08-28
VERDICT OF THE JURY
Cause of Yesterdays Terrible
Disaster Inquired
Into.
DUE TO FAULTY CONSTRUCTION.

Rsmains OF William II. Wit. the Victim
OF the Accident. 60 Ne Laid as Rest To-
morrSw-Ris Death Causes Mech r..
row. the Condlti00 Of tho IDJG rsd
Men.
The coroner's inquisition on the
body of William H Willis, the victim
of yesterday afternoons accident at
the Peter Fries building. returned
the following verdict at II .. m. to-
day:
I'VE, the undersigned jurors
sworn to Inquire of the death Of VIII
liam H. Wins, on oath do find, that
he came to his death from frac-
ture Of the skull. resulting from q
fall with o scaffold on the third floor
of building in the city Of Rock Isl.
and. county and state aforesaid.
which building was being erected for
Peter Fries; We also find that said ac-
cident was due to the faulty con-
struction of said scaffold. and that
said scaffold was constructed by said
deceased, assisted by one Joseph
Crudup. and that said accident &C.
CURED Aug. q. 1897"
Chris Petersen. a bricklayer on
the building. testified that the scat
fold b ID been constructed as far as
the third pier. The lookouts were
of 2x10x16 planks. and extended out
over the sidewalk about five feet. and
IL feet inside the building. These
were anchored to the joists by nail
ing down 2x4. Two pieces in the
shape of an H" were then fastened
over The lookouts at the extreme end.
Nv. H. Willis was the man who su-
perintended the construction OF the
scaffold." continued MIR. Peterson.
when the ceffold broke had Just
stepped off Of it to back up my pier
with red brick. just ceiore the ac-
cident occurred l heard Mr.. Willis
warn the colored man not to place
too many brick on the scaffold."
William s. FIack, the deceased's
business partner, also gave his
testimony, as did also DR..
Joseph De Silva. Louis sampson.
John j. Sulser, l.. NJ. Drack, of
Draok & Kerns. supervising archi-
tect OF the building, William Siemon
and Joseph Turner
The news of the death of Mr.. Will
lis spread swiftly throughout the
city, where he was 80 we'll known
and highly thought of. causing uni
versal sorrow. The deceased was
Familiarity known as Dick" Willis,
being % years Of age. He was a
member Of Camp 500. NJ. W. A., and
the Lincoln Repu blicau club. being
one Of tho vice pre- sidents of the lat
ter organization. He was industri-
GUS and enterprisipg. an energetic
business man, one who enjoyed the
confidence Of all with whom he had
dealings; an affectionate son and
brother. and those nearest aud desr.
est to him will have tho sympathy
of the whole community in their
great sffliction. Funeral services
will be held ut 2 o'clock tomorrow
afternoon at the Bre adway church.
MIR. Schreiner partly regained con-
sciousness this morning. He is suf-
fering from conclusion Of the brain,
but he does not seem to have sus-
tanned any other injuries. His
chances for recovery were reported
couraging early in the day, but late
this afternoon he suffered q relapse,
and is very low.
Mr.. Lowe had two ribs d;siocated
and his left hand badly cut. and I'M
less he has received internal in iur-
les, symptoms of which have failed
Us yet to dew, lop, it is believed he
will get along oil right.
Mr.. Crudup regained conscious
ness at st. Anthony's hospital this
afternoon, and he is reported getting
along as we'll as could be expected.
His left thigh bone and three ribs
are fractured. and there is a severe
cash over his right temple.
More Of the Accident.
The accident was one of the most
appalling which has occurred in
Rock Island in years. The men haa
just returned from dinner, and took
their positions on the scaffold
when suddenly and without note OF
warning they we're hurled downward
80 feet to the sidewalk. The men
fell in heap. the bricks and lum Der
piping upon their PROSTATE forms.
The platform on which Mr.. Willis,
Mr.. Lowe, and Chris Peterson were
a. work laying the pressed brick
which forms the front of the build
ing, was laid on three lookouts, or
cross pieces, each of which were fas-
tened to the Pinch planks which
formed the false floor by cleats, the
design being to have the nails pierce
the Planks and fasten in the joistss
Unfortunately. two Of the nails
which fastened the cleats holding one
lookout, we're simply held BY the
flooring, while the other two nails
entered the joist to q depth not ex-
ceeding three-eights Of an inch. This
was strong enough to support ne
weight usually put on tone Tan
At each pier and his assistant az
the time OF the accident, however,
the strain was doab. ed. Messrs.
Willis and Lowe were at work
Peterson stepped OF the platform