Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-08-14
SHOCK CAUSESDEATH
Street Railway Employe Killed in
PloW Pit.
INQUEST ORDERED FOR TOMORROW
Unfortunate Mans Duty Required
Him to Be Under Ground.
BODY AT THE MORG q E

John c. Page, twenty-eight years old.
former resident, OF Austin. Texas. was cleo
trocuted in the pillow pit Of the Columbia
Street Railway Company at 18th and H
streets northeast about 7:20 o'clock this
morning. He was employed there to make
the changes for the cars from the, over
head. to the underground systems. When
he was lifted from the pit his heart was
still beating. The ninth precinct patrol
wagon was summoned and hurry-up run
was made to the Casualty Hospital. Upon
the arrival at the hospital DR.. Reeves found
that there was no sign of life left in the I'M
fortunate man, and his body was taken to
the morgue. Acting Coroner Gazebrook
examined the body and decided to hold an
inquest at the sixth precinct station at 10
o'clock tomorrow morning.
In exactly what manner Page lost his
life is not known, for he was alone in the
pit, and so suddenly was he robbed of his
senses that he could not make an outcry.
There was a car standing over the pit at
the time, waiting for Page to attach the
pillow in order that it might move west
ward, but neither the motorman nor the
conductor heard sound to warn them of
the accident.
George T. Rocket was motorman and
Richard s. Glascock was conductor of this
particular car. Their car had come in from
Chesapeake Junction and reached the plow
pit at I:22.
Long Wait. 49,
Conductor Glascock pulled down the troll
ley pole as the car moved over the open pit
and fastened 1t securely to the rail of the
dashboard. Then he waited for orders
from Page to go ahead The delay In
making the change seemed longer than
usua, but no comment was made nor was
1t thought that there was anything wrong
in the pit until an eastbound car hauled up
on the other track to be relieved of it's
plow before proceeding to the eastern ter
minus of the road. Then the motorman and
conductor became impatient and several
times they called What's the.matter down
there?"
Receiving no response to their repeated
calls, they concluded to make an investi-
CATION. The eastbound car was backed and
lying in the bottom Of the pit was the man
who had received the fatal shock
Jonas Wills and Frederick Allen were
summoned from the car house, and they
assisted in lifting Page from the pit. They
carried him over beneath a tree on the
Graceland cemetery property and made him
as comfortable as possible until the arrival
of the patrol wagon.
What the Examination Disclosed.
An examination Of the body at the
morgue showed that the mans left hand
and arm had come in contact with some
thing charged with electricity Besides
there were burns across his stomach and
chest, and an injury to the back of his
head. which had evidently been made by
his head striking against the side Of the
pit 1t developed that he had attached
the plow to the west-bound car before he
received the fatal shock. 1t Is believed that
Page placed his hand on the switch after
the connection had been made
AS already stated. the deceased formerly
lived at Austin. Texas. Some time after
the death of his mother he moved to North
Carolina with his father. During the Span
ish-American war he was employed as
teamster, and he finally reached ST. Asaphs
Junction. where he assisted In the care of
the army mules quartered there. Later he
Joined the District of Columbia National
Guard as a member Of the Emmett Guards
and recently spent his vacation in the camp
at Gaithersburg. He boarded at the house
of Mr.. l.. H. Carter. No 4jS NJ street south
west.
A few days ago Page turned over an In
sGrance policy for 500 to a friend. asking
the latter to keep 1t for him His life is in
sured In a Virginia company. Page told
some friends here that his father was the
only relative he had living. He is in North
Carolina, but in what part of the state is
not known. An effort will be made by the
police to locate him.