The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-06-01
CONSCIOUS TILL He DIED
Johns Struck Matches, Evidently
to Attract Attention.
HE WAS TOO RECKLESS
Deputy Mine Inspector Hunter Explains
to the Coroner's Jury How the Acct
dent Probably Representations
Himself Was to Blame.

Coroner Tremblay held an inquest
yesterday afternoon at Richards un-
~iertakibe rooms on the body of Nor
gan g.. Johns. the miner who was killed
In an accident in the Belle of Butte
mine last Saturday. The jury returned
a Nerdicf to the effect that he came to
his death while working Ion as a leas-
err In the Belle of Butte by being
caught by a fall of ground, and that the
accident was unforeseen n to a degree,
at least. unavoidable.
Jesse Y. Wade. the first witness, knew
nothing of the accident. and merely ex-
planned that the owners of the property
had nothing to do with the present
workings. Johns and william Dunn
were working the ground on a sub
lease. There was no boss or manager
over them. and each worked on his own
judgment and responsibility.
William Dunn of Walkerville, one of
the partners in the lease, said he was
working I'm "A break between the 40 foot
level and the surface. He had ocCa-
SION to 90 down past where Johns was
working, and heard him at work. At
noon ne went to the surface to go to
dinner, and waited for Johns to come
up to go with him but he did not
come. Witness went TO dinner. and
went back to work. He worked till
4 o'clock. He then went home. and when
supper time came and Johns did not
show up. the witness went to the mine
to see IL anything was wrong. He went
down to where Johns was working and
found him lying dead close to the man
way. AS neal as the witness could tell
how the accident happened, Johns was
,,fgi,lv ard In uotIDinn nns The ore on "A
narrow vein. had left his waste stand
instead of taking it down, and the
waste, becoming loose. fell and killed
him. Johns was working alone owing
to the stope being too narrow to allow
of two men working on 1t. The witness
said Johns was a man who never ap-
peared to realize danger. and did not
take the necessary precautions to pro-
tect himself. and the witness thought
he had lone this in this case.
Deputy Mine Inspector Frank Hunter
testified tina he Investigated the aCcl-
dent, and he gave his views as To how
IL happened. He thought Johns had
been on his knees on a ledge, picking in
the ore, and worked too far ahead
without taking Town his waste, which
came down and STRUCK him and knocked
him off the ledge. causing him to fan
eight or ten feet to the bottom OF the
drift. The deceased was probably IN
iured both by the fall and by being
struck by the falling rock. johns had
evidently lived some time after the ac-
cident occurred. as there were evidences
of his having lighted matches, and he
had crawled out to the manway. The
mans ribs had evidently been broken
by the falling rock. n his head appar-
entity injured by striking against the
foo:wan when he fell. Mr.. Hunter
thought the mar must have been con-
scious up to the time he died. and prob
ably struck the matches to try and at
tract the attention of his partner. Mr..
Hunter thought death was probably due
10 shock and the loss of blood.