The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-13
THOMAS RUTTER KILLED
Met His Death in the Belle of
Butte Mine.
DIRECT CAUSE UNKNOWN
His Lifeless Body Wa Found Under q
Pile OF Ore at the Bottom OF a
Chute-was Smothered
to Death.

AhohndS TNutteT, aBeu % years, was
killed yesterday Just before noon in
the Belle OF Butte mine. walkerville.
The exact or direct cause of the acci-
dent can only be surmised. bat 1t is very
evident that the conclusions formed by
his fellow workmen are well based.
Rutter and his companions were
working on the 16o-foot level. and 20
minutes before IL O'Clock he told John
knotwell. n Of the leasers OF the
mine. that he vas going 10 the 100 level.
At the noon hour Mr.. Knotwell went TO
that level TO call Rutter to the surface.
Not receiving any response. Knotwell
went on top. supposing that by that
time the men had all gone up. Then 1t
was noticed that Rutter was not among
the others and a search followed. Mr..
Knotwell went down to the 100 level
and looked through the workings there
and also at the 100. He then went to
the ore chute of the 100 and saw a pile of
loose ore at the bottom. This ore evil
IDENTIFY lac been released since Rutter
spoke last to Mr.. Knotwell. and the lat
ter at once gave the alarm n the ore
was cleared away. Under IL was oun
tft lllciCs Douy " MI. IkuttcI. IutIt
were no marks or bruises IN the body
and he was evidently smothered to
death.
II Is supposed hat when Mr.. Rutter
left the other men, who were not many
feet from the chute, he stepped inside
TO see IL IL were clear. and seeing some
loose ore overhead he prodded IL with
a pick. with the result that two or three
tons instantly poured through the collar
and 0arriad the man ACvyn with n
Mr.. Rutter was an experienced miner,
having worked in the mines here since
1890. He had worked three months in
the Belle of Butte and just previous
had worked five years in the Gray
Rock. He was well known and much
liked. He leaves a wife and two daugh-
tiers. IA and IL years of age respectively.
Mrs. Rutter. upon hearing the terrible
news. was Frustrated and the scene at
the home was most %sorrowful. rho
mother n children were inconsolable.
Mr.. Rutter was born I'm Cornwall, Eng
land. Undertaken Tachel took charge
of the body.
In the afternoon the following jury
viewed the remains: II. w. Connole.
N. II. May. John Jackson, Thomas
Cody, Albert Sibilisky and John Lucas.
In the evening Acting Coroner Lauran-
deau onduct an inquest in
undertaking rooms with the above
named jury.
John Knotwell was the first witness
and told the jury in substance about
the same story as given i'm the above
account. In his opinion. the accident
was due to his own carelessness.
Herbert f. Snyder corroborated the
testimony of Mr.. Knotwell. He ex-
planned the construction of the chute
which connected the 100 with the 16O-
foot level.
E1ward II NTorpn was working on
top and knew nothing further Of the
matter than what had been told him.
Alderman Duffy was the next witness.
He only assisted in rescuing the body
and could throw no additional light on
the case. He was not i'm the mine at
the time. His idea was judging from
the position of the body, that he went
into the chute to open II and clear 1t
of the ore that had lodged in II. He
believed IL was carelessness on the part
of the dead mar to take that method Of
clearing the chute.
William r. Hore, an engineer at the
Belle of Butte and also employed as a
miner at that mine, was the first man
to touch the body after the accident.
He considered him a careful miner.
The chute vas perfectly safe. as far
as he knew. He also said that the
several men working in the mine were
more or less their own bosses and were
supposed to exercise care and caution
in the performance of their work. II
was his opinion that the man was
smothered.
Sampson Hore corroborated the other
witnesses.
w. O. Chino was OF the opinion that
the man was smothered. saying in con-
nection that the dirt was fine. contain
ing no rocks large enough to infiict ia
tai injuries. He told about the same
story as that related by the others. He
Is in charge of the property, and II Is
his effort to have the men exercise eau
tion while at work. He thought no one
was to blame.
Mr.. Knotwell Is foreman of the mine.
and in answer to n question by the
coroner, he said that he gave Rutter
no orders to go into the chute.
Deputy Mine Inspector Hunter went
to Gold Coin yesterday morning and
was unable to be in attendance at the
INQUEST.
The jury's verdict was that the de-
ceased came to his death by suffoca-
tion. and that his own carelessness
caused 1t.