The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-21
WAS PURELY AN ACCIDENT
Coroner's Jury Findings in the
Comeford Inquest.
BRIDGE PROPERLY BUILT
Witnesses Testify That the Structure
Through Which the Unfortunate
Men Fell Was Considered Per-
fectly Sac

Coroner Julien held an inquest last
evening at Duggan's undertaking
rooms on the body of Michael Comeford.
who died at st. James hospital Monday
evening from injuries he received by
falling through bridge at the Noun
tain Consolidated mine The evidence
was to the effect that death was the re-
suit of purely accidental causes and the
jury returned a verdict accordingly
David Walker, who has charge of The
Mountain Consolidated mine yard, said
he was called and found Comeford in a.
sitting posture under the dryer. He
sad plank had given away, causing
him to fall. The dryer had been raised
and to reach it "a bridge had been built
1t was substantial and thu only way
witness could see Comeforl could have
fallen was by a plank having worked
off it's support at one end, letting it go
down with him. He fell distance Of
about 10 feet. Witness did not know
whether the planks were spiked or not
but presumed not, as they We're three
inch plank and he would not suppose
they would need it. He considered the
bridge properly built and entirely safe
for men to walk on. Comeford had
himself inspected it when it was built
as he had to use it most. The planks
were SO heavy that witness supposed
they could not be moved without the
use1of a bar. He could not account for
the plank having worked back from its
support.
Charles Aiken was the first to go to
Comeford's assistance. The latter was
lying against the cribbing of the dryer
and appeared to be badly hurt. He said
he was going into the dryer and as he
was stepping into the door, with one
foot on the sill and the other on one
of the planks, the plank slipped off the
crlbbing on which one end rested and
he fell through. The bridge was built
for an approach to the dryer and was
made of three-inch 16-foOt plank. One
end of the planks rested on an embank-
ment and the other on the cribbing just
under the sill door. The man must have
sustained his injuries by striking on the
cribbing when he fell. Constant walk
ing over the bridge must have caused
the plank to work back, allowing the
end resting under the door sill to drop
down. The bridge was ample for all the
purposes for which it was used and the
witness considered it was properly
built.
John Comeford, laborer employed at
the Mountain Consolidated, but no rela-
tive of the deceased. gave testimony
which correspondent with the statements
of the preceding witnesses.
DR. j. Newton Alexander who attend
ed Comeford at St. James hospital,
stated that the injuries consisted of the
breastbene being shattered, several ribs
being broken and some internal injur-
les. 1t was undoubtedly the internal
injuries which produced death. The
breastbone was doubtless broken by
Comeford striking on his shoulders
when he fell, which, in a man of his
age, would be sufficient to produce such
result. Witness knew at the time he
attended Comeford that he could not
recover. ComefOrd stated to the wit
ness that no one was to blame for his
nishap.
The jury returned the following YER
dict: THAT the deceased came to his
death at Butte. Silver Bow county,
Montana, on the 10th day of June, 1899,
from the effects of internal injuries he
sustained by falling through bridge at
the Mountain Consolidated mine in
Silver Bow township, said county and
state, on June 10, 1899, and from the
evidence, we, the jury, further find that
the death Of the said deceased was due
to wholly accidental causes