The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-08-22
He DISSOLVED ORDERS
What the Jury Finds in Regard to
the Death of MCCULLOUGH.
VERDICT OF THE INQUEST
Mcmahon Inquest to Be Completed To
Day - Coroners Jury Visits the
Scene of the Explosion-Testi-
mony of Wounded Men.

The verdict of the coroner's jury call
ed to inquire into the cause of death
of James Mccullough, the first victim
of Fridays explosion at the limestone
quarry, was rendered late yesterday af-
ternoon. 1t was that the deceased came
to his death by disregardng the in
structions given to the men in the
quarry by the contractor to, on no ac-
count, attempt to drill in missed
hole, but to pass all such holes and drill
new ones"
The inquest into the death of Patrick
Mcmahon, the second victim of the ex-
plosion. was undertaken yesterday by
the same jury, much of the same testi-
mony sufficing for both. There was
other and detailed testimony to be Sc
cured from physicians, so the inquest
adjourned at p. m. to II a. m. to-day.
Yesterday morning the inquest re-
sumed the taking of testimony, going
first to the hospital where the two in
Jured men, Leroy Carter and John
Thornton, We're examined. From there
Coroner Hardenbrook. j. j. McGuin-
ness, the clerk and the jury went in
two carriages to the scene of the ex-
plosion. There Fred Hansen, John
Stubb, F. Nolan, c. Conn and A. He'd
strom were all examined.
The jury went over the quarry care
fully. Evidences of the immense force
of the explosion were there still in the
tremendous amount of earth moved
and the huge masses Of rock thrown
down.
Returning late in the afternoon the
jury spent some time waiting for the
physicians, who were detained by pro-
| fessonal duties, then retired without
their evidence. After elaboration
, lasting over an hour the verdict given
in the foregoing was rendered.
The testimony taken at the quarry
was not of great Importance, the men
| questioned being employees. who We're
not in a position to know what in
| structions We're given regarding the use
| of powder. They told of the explosion
| and it's effects.
| Leroy Carter, foreman, in charge of
the work. testified at the hospital on
his bed, where he lay just prior to his
| leg being amputated.
| Being asked to state just what hap
pened on the day of the explosion, he
| said:
well, that is a little hard for me to
do. There was a missed hole there shot
of few days before. 1t did not go. the
| boys said. ~ feet from the bottom, and
| I.told them to leave it alone, and some
time in the evening they must have
| tried it again.
They did not follow your instruc-
J tions?" was asked.
/ no. 1t happened some way that
came up in time for the explosion.
| don't know howS Mccullough was pow
| der man, and took the responsibility
to do it himself"
He was what you call the powder
man."
Yes"
Did you say you just came up when
the blast went OFF,"
Il could not say. | do not remem-
Der anything about it just then"
When you went up there did you
recognize that as the missed hole?"
mo. I thought they We're drilling a
new hole. I hardly remember going
up there at all"
| John Thornton. the other injured
man, told his story at the hospital as
| follows:
Il was loading cars when these men
went to work, and | run out one car
and saw the men to work up there.
did not know if they We're at the same
old hole. l knew they had shot some of
! it off l was picking dirt up there and
leveling it off when / heard a dead shot,
and something lifted me and knocked
me down, and I was covered up. The
boys heard me hollering and dug me
out. I walked a little ways and felt
weak and lay down until the cars came
! up"
Were you told anything about the
instructions?"
No. sir: that was not my business.
l was loading cars and knew nothing
about that"