The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-11-29
he FELL into A HOLE
How Michael j. Lyons Lost His
Life.
WAS FOUND IN THE SLOPE
Missed His Way in tbs Dark and
Plunged to HIS Death-A Grie'-
Stricken Family ssult OF
the Inquest.

For all of his life since he came to
mans estate Michael j. Lyons had
earned his daily bread by going under
| ground without encountering any of
the perils that overhang a miners life,
only to meet his death by falling into
hole on top Of the ground. There
was more than a touch of the irony
of fate in his sudden taking off and
there are circumstances in connection
with the strange fatality that are ut
terly inscrutable
Some 10 years ago there was cave
in Of part of the workings of the Lex
ngton mine. The ground had been
stopped SO close to the surface that it
caved, leaving a craterlike opening in
the surface that covered considerable
area. During all the years since the
cave occurred the place has been left
without being protected except by a
fence that was. a long time ago, built
along one side to keep people from
walking into the pitfall at night.
The cave is situated east of the
Walkerville road, between the Lexing-
ton office and row Of houses tenanted
by miners. For the convenience OF
these people and the miners employed
at the Gray Rock mine, a path had
been made leading UP past the old cave.
This path runs north and south along
the west side Of the cave. and the fence
referred to was built from the path,
east about 40 feet, along the south side
OF the hole. 1t has always been regard
ed as all the protection the people who
traversed the path and who were ia
miliar with the lay Of the ground re
quired.
Tn nr,n re
toned lives family named Shea. The
nome Of the Lyons family is in Mullins
street, Centerville. The two families
are on close terms of intimacy and fire.
quently exchange visits. When Lyons
went to his work in the Mountain Con,
Monday his wife told him she would
visit that evening at the house Of the
Sheas and asked him to come for her
in the evening when he got through his
work
Mrs. Lyons stayed at the Shea home
till o'clock in the evening, and then,
tanned her husband, decided to go
home. Two ladies Of the household
walked home with her and they were
all surprised to find that the husband
was not there. They naturally con-
cluded he had gone up to the house
after her and they had passed him on
the road. The ladies accordingly re-
turned home thinking very little of the
matter. But Lyons did not come home
and Mrs. Lyons spent a very uneasy
night. as such a thing as her husband
staying out all night was unheard Of
When he had not returned yesterday
morning Mrs. Lyons sent her little girl
up to the Shea house to inquire if her
husband had been seen. He had not
been there and the Sheas thought it
was, very peculiar. 1t Immediately &C.
CURED to them that. he might have
s-tn Y.tn
out to investigate. They looked all
around the big hole in the ground, but
saw nothing to confirm their fears.
While they stood specializing on the
tier Foreman J. D. Vachiery Of the
Lexington came along and they COM
municated to him the fears Lyons dis
appearance had aroused. At the east
end of the fence along the south side Of
the cave the depression in the earth
cuts off very sharply, the bank being
almost perpendicular and it is about
10 feet to the bottom Of the cave. Just
at this point one of the old timbers of
the stope, left uncovered when the cave
occurred, juts out and just below it is
a small hole opening into another of
the old slopes. This had been filled
up nearly to the top of the stope and
the roof of the stope holding, left an
opening few feet square. To get into
1t man would have to get down on his
hands and knees and crawl in.
While it appeared impossible that
man could have fallen over the bank
and have gotten into this hole, still
Mr.. Vachiery decided to look in. To
his great surprise he saw the dead body
of Lyons in the back Of the hole. From
an examination of the ground 1t seems
certain that Lyons must have been go
ing up to the Shea residence after hts
Wire, and in the darkness went too far
to the east, missing the fence entirely,
and have walked off the enhancement.
In falling he must have struck on the
timber jutting out at this point, and
nave shot feet first into the hole. How
the body could have got where it was
round is the incomprehensible part Of
the strange death, but there seems to
pc absolutely nothing to indicate foul
play and there can be little doubt that
the man was killed as described.
Inc only mark found on the body
was a Druise on the side of the head,
but blood was oozing from one ear and
there appears no doubt the man struck
MS mead on the timber and died from
concussion. Whether he died at once
OF fingered IN agony there was nothing
TO indicate. There was grief that was
terrible to witness when the family was
informed OF the death Of the husband
and father.
Lyons was a sober, industrious miner
and was highly esteemed by all who
knew him. He leaves a wife and seven
children to mourn his loss.
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