The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1897-05-15
A Shocking Double Fatality
Last Night at Chelsea.
Bystanders Were Unable to
Rescue Them From Death.



Of IS Dudley street and Patrick Gavin.
bis brother-in-law. who lived with
Casey, were Slectrocuted at the corner
OF Webster avenue and Dudley street
last evening.
The cries Of the two men drew q crowd
to the scene, and the people were COM
PEELED to stand by and watch the two
men die without being able to render
assistance in time to avert the fatal con-
sequences Of the highly charged wire
upon which both men were lying.
Samuel Cupples. q watchman in the
employ of T. Martin Bros. Manufactur-
ing company. could not stand idly by.
and he attempted. by taking hold of the
coat Of one Of them, to drag him from
the wire.
The instant his hand touched the coat
he was thrown backward to the ground.
and no further effort was made to get
the two men from the wire until the cur
rent had been shut of from all the wires
In the city.
The two men who were killed had been
up town shopping, and were returning
home. Mr.. Casey was a spare motor
man employed by the Lynn and Boston
road, and Mr.. Gavin came 10 this coun-
try from Ireland only month ago.
From the position of the men when
first seen It is presumed that Gavin first
stepped on the charged wire and was
instantly felled to the ground by the
shock that the fall of Gavin, with the
knowledge which Casey undoubtedly
possessed OF the bad condition Of the
wires In that vicinity, caused the motor
man, in his excitement, TO forget his
own danger. and to seize Gavin's hand
In an effort to drag him from the wire.
The instant his hand touched that Of
the fallen man Casey also received the
full force of the current and was thrown
back and down upon the wire close 70
his brother-in-law.
Neither OF the men appeared to be un-
conscious, as their screams were kept
up for several minutes, and were heart
Tending to those who rushed TO their as
sistance, but were unable to be of aid
The scene of the accident is only a
few doors from the home of the two
men. and Mrs. Casey. wife Of the motor
man. stood just opposite her door
watching the fearful scene, but too
frightened to venture nearer.
When the current in the wires had
been turned off and darkness added
horror to the scene, II was not known
who the two men on the wire were.
Lanterns were procured and by their
light the two men were recognized and
the names OF the two victims passed
hurriedly from mouth to mouth in the
crowd OF spectators.
Her husbands name at length reached
the ears Of Mrs. Casey as she stood in
front of her house.
Her screams of horror as she real
ized the truth of the situation were
borrowing. and many in the crowd
moved away unable to witness her dis
tress.
She was led into her house and kind
friends endeaVored to console her. but
she would not he comforted
City Physician Sibley was called to
the scene. and after he had formally
pronounced the men dead they were
taken into their former home. The
medical examiner was also notified.
Mr.. Casey was "a years old and Mr..
Gavin 20 years old. The former was
well known and a general favorite among
the employees of the street railway. He
leaves one child besides the widow
The wire which caused the death OF the
two men is plain unnsulated wire
such as Is used for telegraph and tele-
phone services. Ii is an old wire. When
II fell to the sidewalk ii evidently fell
across an electric light wire and in that
manner became charged with the heavy
current il carried when the men fell
upon IL.