The Anaconda standard., 1898-01-06
TWO |NQUESTS YESTERDAY
Shuttie's Carelessness the Cause
of His Frightful Death.
CASE OF CHARLES LEMON
Details OF the Fatal Accident in the
Leonard Shaft by Which the
Miner Lost His Life.
The Verdicts.

undertaking rooms yesterday afternoon
one on the body of Michael Shuttle. the
man who died Tuesday morning in the
| Alice hospital of injuries received by
being burned in the Alice mill at Walk
/ erville on Sunday, and another over the
remains of Charles ID. Lemon. who was
| Killed Monday evening in the Leonard
| shaft by a blast In both cases the
Vedict was that the victim died from
| the effect of his own carelessness
The Shuttle inquest was held at 2
Eo'clock. Paul Shutz testified through
an interpreter, Peter Spaker that he
| was Shutte's partner and they We're
working together pulling down pulp,
| and Shuttle. instead of working the
pulp in slanting way, worked it
straight down, causing the pile to cave.
| Ihey both started to run, and witness
got away, but deceased tripped and fell
| and the molten pulp ran down and
overlook him, burning his hands and
body in terrible manner
James Murphy was 10 feet away from
the accident when it happened. He did
not see it but had his attention attract
ed by the steam and dust and knew
something had happened. Shuttle got
up and walked to the changing room
Witness heard Foreman Williams in
struct Shuttle to be careful and not
cut the pulp down too straight, but he
apparently paid no attention.
Matt Shultz was on the floor few
minutes before the accident and told
deceased and his partner to be careful
or they would bring the hot pulp down
on themselves. He considered the acci-
dent due to deceased's carelessness.
Theodore Yeslin testified that the
pulp, crushed AS fine as flour and heat
ed, is hoisted with a derrick and
dumped in pile which is usually
about five feet high. Is feet wide on the
bottom and 10 feet on the top. The pulp
lays from "A hours up to cool, then load
ed into cars the pulp as it cooled. BY
working the pile in a santing way. the
cooled pulp could be taken off, but if
cut down too straight the pulp which
is molten underneath. will run like
water and is dangerous Witness un-
derstood this is what was done and
when the cave occurred. deceased tried
to run away, tripped and fell into the
molten pulp.
William Williams. foreman of the
Alice mill. stated that his orders were
to see that all men were instructed to
make themselves safe. The deceased
disobeyed orders and cut down the pulp
in such way as to cave the pulp upon
himself. The witness had instructed
deceased only few minutes before the
accident not to do the very thing he did
do, and he therefore considered the ac-
cident due to Suites own carelessness.
The body was badly burned all over
and deceased only lived about 40 hours
after the accident
The jury returned verdict that death
was due to deceaseds carelessness.
The Lemon inquest was at once COM
menced. Thomas GrinSlade testified that
he and his partner were working in a.
raise about 80 feet above where the de-
ceased and his partner johnson were
working in the 500 level, when the acc-
dent occurred. He didn't know how the
trouble came about but he and his
r6 Si< hnIA Off
they heard shouts and concluded some
one had been blasted. After waiting
safe length of time they went to in
Vestigate and found Johnson badly in
jured. The witness took Johnson to the
surface, and concluding Lemon had
been killed, went back, and he and his
partner found Lemon buried under the
ground that had been blown down.
James Caddy, Grinslade's partner, re-
lated his knowledge of the accident in |
practically the same language as the |
former witness. He and Grinslade |
found Lemon about 80 feet from the |
breast.
John A. Smith. a car man at the Leon |
ard, knew nothing of the accident till |
johnson was brought on top. Then he
went down to help take out Lemon, who |
was found as described by the other |
witnesses.
James r. Bennett, the shift boss on |
duty at the time of the accident, went |
INTO the breast just before Lemon and |
his partner Johnson were ready to
blast. Lemon had said, well, we are
ready to blast" He had said all right
and told them to go to the 900 when
they finished. They had six holes to
blast. Witness went away and few
minutes later heard the blast. The next
thing he knew he went on top and
found Johnson, who said: Jim, I guess
my partner is killed: I'm afraid we
stopped too long" Witness said Lemon
had doubtless been standing close up
against the breast when the holes went
off, and was blown back where he was
found The men were never limited as
to the amount of fuse they may use.
From the fact that Johnson was not
killed, the witness thought he must
have started to go out and was some
distance away when the blast went off.
The jury visited Johnson. the partner
of the deceased. at his home to take
his testimony. His statement bore out
the testimony of Mr.. Williams and the
jury returned verdict that Lemon
came to his death through his own neg
ligence.