The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-01-08
UNABLE TO DETERMINE
Facts Connected With the Deaths
in the Never Sweat.
TOLD TOACOR0NER'S JURY
Men Who Were in the Fatal Drift Just
Before Sullivan and Flaherty Died
Give Testimony.Wha They
All Said About 1t.

The coroners investigation of the death
of John F. Sullivan and NJ c. Flaherty,
who were suffocated in the Never Sweat
mine Tuesday was concluded last even
ing, the jury returning a verdict simply
reciting the facts and declaring that the
jury was unable to determine the origin
of the fire.
1t was announced at the close of the
proceedings Thursday evening that the
taking of testimony was completed but
the jurymen concluded to have the wit
nesses before them who were not pres
ent the night before. and accordingly
they were subpcenae1 AMI ~"amined. Be
fore the inquest Sas sufaed the test-
mony taken Thursday evening had been
read to the absent juror John McCor-
mick. The inquest was resumed at s
O'Clock in Judge Bindsay's court room at
the court house. John j. Lynch, one of
the fire bugs" in the Never Sweat, tes-
titled that he went through the lateral
drift connecting with the Never Sweat
and Anaconda mines on the 700 level on
Monday after the day shift quit work.
He looked in the third erosscut from the
shaft where the fire occurred and where
a workman had been employed that day,
but saw fire.
Edward Thomas Moran. the employe
who worked in the third crosscut the day
before the fire. said he not working
int ddA VI tIt DUl Jldu WoEhtu III
the crosscut the day before. cleaning it
out. He used two candles. one in q stick
and one on a wire, which was hung
against the rock wall. He considered 1t
impossible that he could have dropped
snuff without noticing il, and was very
positive the fire was in no sense the result
of carelessness on his part
John Dinkwater, "A 'nippers and iirebug
in the Anaconda, testified that he went
through the drift on the 700 level which
connects the Anaconda crosscut with the
Never Sweat shaft about q minutes be-
fore o'clock on Tuesday morning. lie
looked into the crosscut where the fire oc-
CURED but saw no indications of fire.
The men had all gone off shift at that
time
John Fleming. the partner of the insa-
lent witness, LeaTy, who was on the stand
the night before. gave the best account of
the manner in which Sullivan and Flah-
erty came to their death of any witness
examined during the inquest. lie said he
and Leary We're working in the Anaconda
crosscut on the 100 when Sullivan and
Flaherty came down from above. He and
his partner had smelled smoke for some
time but very family and supposed it
was the smelter smoke coming down the
shaft. Sullivan and Flaherty passed the
opening of the lateral drifts and smellsd
IT very plainly. Sullivan said there was
lire somewhere and the four started into
the drift, Sullivan and Leary walked to-
gether and the witness and Flaherty. As
they got well la the smoke got very
strong and the draught blew out the
lights. Finally Leary. who was ahead
called out to turn back and witness
turned and ran. Having no lights he d'd
not know that Flaherty was not coming
until he found himself and Leary at the
station alone. They made no effort 10 so
after their eomrade, buf rang for the sta
ton tender and soon afterwards went on
top.
The witness Moran asked and was given
permission to state that he left the cross
cut where the fire occurred at noon the
day before. He said he had been virtual
~ accused of the murder of the two men
and he desired to eXonerate himself by
showing he could not have been respon-
sible for the fire.
The jury retired and returned a verdict
as stated.