The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-10-24
AN INQUIRY is ON
Coroner Investigating Live Wire
Tragedy.
STORIES OF DEATH ARE RET0lD
Evidence of Persons Early on the
SCene-ChaS. ThurSton and DR..
WinSlow-Ceertz.
STORIES OF DEATH ARE RET0l D

Saturday morning Deputy Marshal
ChiIingwOrth, acting coroner, empan-
eled the following jury TO inquire INFO
the cause Of death Of Thomas Hannah
and Alohikea, victims Of Friday nights
tragedy, viz: T. V. King, Ed Paris, ~
Peyser, John Kuaana, John Mahuko
and Albert Trask.
The jurors were duly sworn and
were then shown the body Of Alohikea.
which had been placed at the Station
house. The body bore a natural ap-
pearance, there being no burns TO in
dictate the horrible manner in which
deceased met his death. The jury was
unanimous in the belief that the man
had not come into direct contact with
the live wire itself, but was killed
through contact with the horse, which
had evidently struck the wire, form
ing a complete circuit.
After having viewed the body Of
Alohikea the jury was taken to the
undertaking rooms of Z. \. Williams
on Fort street, where the body of
Thomas Hannah had been removed.
His body, like that of AlChikea, showed
which he met death.
After examining the bodies the jury
was excused until o'clock in the af-
ternoon. at which hour they again con-
vened for the purpose Of taking the
testimony of witnesses who were at the
scene of the tragedy shortly after il
occurred.
The first witness TO be called was
Charles Thurston, foreman of No. l
Engine Company, who testified in sub
stance as follows: Friday night at
about II: 30 he was awakened by a
very heavy rainfall, that he arose and
went through the engine house, as is
his custom on being aroused, TO see
that everything was all right, and on
his returning up stairs he heard some
one grooming, and, locking out Of the
front window, saw a hack standing in
the street, with the horse lying down
and in close proximity, at right angles
to the horse, was the form of a man.
He at once put on his clothes and ran
out into the street, where he found
GeertZ clinging to the body OF Hannah
and, instinctively knowing that il was
that was causing the trouble
he had presence of mind enough TO
grasp Geertz by the shoes, which
served as a partial non-conductor, and
pulled him from connection with the
live wire, thus breaking the circuit
Wi tn which GeertZ was being affected.
He then assisted ~Geertz into the en-
CINE house, where he was cared for by
Drs. Winslow and Burgess. He then
ran out into the street TO keep the
crowd from coming in contact with the
wire.
The next witness called was Charles
GesrtZ, who was at Humans side at
the time the accident occurred and
who so narrowly escaped the same
fate. GeertZ told the following story
in substance: | have known Tom Han
nan for about four months. He be
lOngad 10 Company l. of the Second L.
S Engineers, now stationed at Camp
Mckinley, OF which l am also mem
Der. We have been chums during the
time we have known one another and
were together much Of the time when
off duty. Friday evening We came
down town together and Went first 10
the Pantheon saloon, where we met
two sailors from the Bennington. We
four then went To a Japanese ice cream
parlor and had some cream. After
eating the ice cream we returned &c
a short time and then took in the
Chinese quarter. 1t had commenced &c
rain and we engaged a carriage 10 taks
us up to camp; this was about -: 80
We drove up King street and had gone
about three blocks when the driver
stopped his horse and said: Something
| is wrong; there is a man lying in tht
mud in the. street He started TO ge
| out Of the carriage to see what tn,
trouble was, when Tom told him TO re
| main in the carriage and look after hi.
| horse; that ne would see what TN
| trouble was. Tom then got out OF tn,
! cab and walked over to where the MAI
| was lying in the street, l following
| closely behind him. When Ton
| reached the man he stopped over L
| raise him up. As he touched him n,
cried out OH and fell back into N!
| arms The instant his body touched
NE | felt a terrible shock and knew
| that we were entangled in a live cleo
| trio wire. When Tom fell into m.
| arms We both dropped to the grOunt
| together and his legs were thrown
| across mine. After we struck IN
| ground I shouted for help and then
| remember no more until after Mr.
| Thurston pulled me away from Tom
| The shock was terribly strong and
| feel the effects of it yet. l was takel
| into the dispensary and given a drinl
! OF liquor, which gave me strength
| after which l was put to bed in the fir
| house and given something by the doc
| tor TO make me sleep Hannah Wa
| between % and so years old. He tOl,
me that ne originally came from Ten
| nessee or some of those Southern
! States. He told me that he had
| father somewhere in the East.
When asked if Hannah was strong
| healthy man, Geertz replied: Yes. siI
| he was quite healthy"
Mrs. Burgess, who lives opposite Nc
| I fire house, on King street, was III
! next witness to be called. She sal
| that she was awakened by the heav
| down pour of rain and had arisen |
! see if the rain was coming in thToug
| tho windows which were omen Sh