The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-10-14
IT WAS HIS OWN FAULT
Waller Was Drunk at the Time
ofthe Accident.
ENGINEER NOT TO BLAME
Deputy Nine Inspector Hunter SAID the
Foreman Should Not Have Per-
mitted Waller to Enter
the Mine.

The Heath Of W. A. Waller. who was
killed In h shaft Of the silver King
mine Wednesday evening. was ~investi-
gated last evening at an naues held
by Coroner Tremblay at Dugran's nm
dertaking rooms at S o'clock. The tes-
timony was all 10 the effect thar the
accident was due to Walters intoxicated
condition and the jury rendered a YER
dict holding the deceased alone re-
sponsible. "
Barney Coll. brother-in-law OF the
deceased. who was foreman Of the Sill
yer King. said he was not at the mine
AT the time or the accident. but saw his
brother-in-law shortly before he went
below, and tried to influence him
against going down because he was
,ntoxicated. and he feared an accident.
ne. however. d~isregarded witness coun-
sci and went below. The witness added
that Waller never went below unless he
was intoxicated. Witness knew nothing
OF his own knowledge of how the acci-
dent occurred.
Is. Nj. Lindsay. the engineer on duty
at the time of the accident. said Waller
came TO the mine abou s o'clock. He
was intoxicated and when he proposed
going below witness thought he ought
not to. but Waller was boss. ana there
was nothing to do but lower him.
ABOUT s O'Clock witness got three bells
ana concluded Waller was coming I'M.
witness was always more careful i'm
hosting waller than any one else. as
ne was always drunk When the bucket
reached the junction OF the incline and
vertical portions of the shaft witness
feit the rope strain and the bucket
stopped. Witness went and called down
the shaft. asking what was the mat
ter. Getting no reply. he went down
the shaft and found Waller just breath
ing his last.
Richard Allen testified that he was at
the station when Waller got I'm the
bucket and rang the signal to hoist. A
minute or so later he was called to
help get the body out. Waller seemed
very Jubilant while in the mine and
promised all the men a new suit of
clothes on Christmas.
Robert Seifert, another of the men
employed in the mine. related the cir
cumstances OF the accident as told by
the other witnesses and said in his
judgment life was crushed out against
the roller In the shaft and was not
u to he brain having been pene-
trated by his candlestick. as had been
stated was the case. Charles Allen. an
other employe of the mine, was called.
but was not at the mine at the time of
the accident and knew nothing about
IL. George III. Savage. the day engi-
neer. was called. but he had gone off
duty and could throw no light on the
inquiry. He, said. however, that three
or four days before Waller had told
him to lower him. but he refused to let
go In the bucket because he was
Deputy Mine Inspector Frank Hunter
told OF investigating the accident and
said he found IL a pretty difficult mat
ter for a sober man to ride up I'm the
bucket and not get hurt, to say moth
ing OF a drunken man. He regarded
the accident, however. as due to Waller
been drunk. Witness censured
Coll for allowing Waller to go
down. Witness did not regard the ac-
cldent In any way the fault OF the en-
gineer. The jury rendered a verdict
reciting the facts and declaring death
have been due to the carelessness of
the deceased.
The funeral of Waller will be held
this afternoon at 2 o'clock from the resi-
dence Of Barney Coll, the brother-in-
at 925 West Copper street.