Custer weekly chronicle. [volume] (Custer City, S.D.) 1890-1931, 1900-10-13
KILLED I'm THE GLOBE SHAFT.

L
Leon Bertschy Drops Down to the Bot
tom Of Shaft and In Instantly
Killed.
A fatal accident occurred at the Globe
mine. nine miles northwest from Gus
ter, about O'Clock on the morning ol
the 10th in which Leonard Bertschy
lost his life by falling to the bottom of q
65 foot shaft. The body was brought to
Custer. embalmed and shipped to Hill
City Thursday, where it was temporari.
ly buried yesterday for the winter, and
will be removed in the spring to the
family lot in the Woodstock cemetery
in Woodstock, Ill. Leonard Bertschy
was the son OF Mr.. George Bertschy
who came to the Black Hills with his
family In 1877. settling first in Central
City where they lived until 1884. al
which time they removed to Sheridan,
six miles northeast of Hill City, where
the family at present reside.
Leonard Bertschy was born in Omaha
Nebraska, February z, 1872, and was in
the 29th year OF his age. He was q
single man and leaves father. mother
one brother, Perry, and two sisters to
mourn his untimely death.
The particulars of the sad accident az
far as could be learned were as follows
Leon and his partner VIM. Rosenbaum
working on the night shift on the Globe
mine. They had in four holes which
Leon loaded and fred and stepping into
the rope shouted to his partner to hoist
which was Immediately done. Mr..
Rosenbaum says that Leon was not al
all excited and that while being hoisted
he would grasp the ladder occasionally
and pull in careless sort Of way to
make the hosting lighter. When about
80 feet from the bottom Rosenbaum got
orders to stop, which he did instantly
Immediately the strain OH the rope was
relieved and he presumed then Leonard
had left the rope to climb the balance ol
the way (35 feet) on the ladder. About
this time he heard sound in
the shaft as If something had
fallen. He shouted down the shaft
but got no reply, and then, as he
says, ~ got scared for knew something
serious had happened. shouted to
the boys who are working at the North
Star mine near by and they came over.
Meantime the blast went off, and though
the smoke was thick in the shaft, went
down and with another man we picked
up the body, put it in the bucket anG il
was hoisted to the top. Leon was still
breathing and continued to do 80 for
about five minutes after reaching the
surface. but was unconscious" The ex.
animation disclosed quite large hole in
the back ofthe head, the shoulder and
arm were broken, and the body other.
wise bruised, while his clothes were
badly torn.
Further particulars than this will pro-
bahly never be known, as it was dark
in the shaft, and whether he was ceased
with vertigo or made miss step on the
ladder and fell to the bottom, and
whether he was killed by the fall or by
the blast must remain forever mys.
terry.
We haye not the time or space at our
command to attempt to write suitable
obituary, but suffice TO say that In the
loss of Leonard Bertschy, his parents
his brother and sisters, his many friends
he had no enemies) and this whole
community where he was so we'll known
and universally respected, are weighed
down In sadness and sorrow. Their
thoughts 60 out in sympathy to the par
ents and brothers and sisters who are
bowed down with grief, and whose
hearts must bleed till time shall come
with healing on it's wings to soothe In
part their sorrow. Then they may be
able to lift their eyes from the darkness
Of the grave, where the mangled re-
mains of their loved one lies buried, up
ward to where the freed spirit has taken
it's flight to mingle with other loved ones
gone before, in land that is fairer than
this.
At the coroner's inquest held Thurs.
day p. M, in the presence of State Mine
Inspector Cusick, the jury, composed OF
Mr.. M. J. Bailey, j. N. Granger and Ed.
ward Rogers, returned verdict that de-
ceased came to his death by accident
and exonerated the company and its
employees from any and all blame in the
matter. Mr.. Cusick stated that he had
made an examination of the shaft and
found it in first class shape in every re-
spect.