The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-02-27
A HORRIBLE ACCIDENT.
JOE HODGES, FRESHMAN AT EVENING
DISPATCH" OFFICE, KILLED YES
TEROAY AFTERNOON.
Caught In Machinery Of the Print
ing Press and His Skull Terribly
Crushed Died Within Two Hours.
Real Cause OF Accident q Mystery.
Coroner's Inquest to be Held Today.

Joe Hodges, a DTlSul yOoho
about 20 years of age, employed at the
office of The Evening Dispatch as a
pressman, met with a horrible acct
dent about $3.50 o'clock yesterday af-
ternoon from the effects of which he
died within two hours
He was operating the press in print
ing the regular issue of the paper and,
finding that the machine was not
working as it should, crawled UNDER
meath to make an investigation. He
first stopped the press by shifting the
belt to h loose pully. When he had
reached a point under the press just
where, when it is in operation, the
plunger and air chamber come in con-
tact az the motion is reversed, the
press started up in some ~unaccountable
way and before he could dodge out OF
tbs way, his head was caught we
these two parts and crushed In a nor
rible name
]. M. JUDGE STOPPED THE PRESS.
There were two or three carriers
and j. NJ. Judge in the room at the
time, but none of them seem to have
been paying any attention to the op-
Grafton of the press. Judge rushed
around to the shifting lever n fore
ed the belt to the loose pully, but the
press made one other revolution be-
fore it stopped.
The injured young man was lifted
from under the machine as tenderly as
possible, and medical aid hurriedly
summoned. 1t was found that the
skull was badly crushed in on the left
side just above the temple and a por-
ton of the left ear was mashed off.
@-a h CDrrl
fracture, which was about three inches
in length.
As soon as possible after the acct
lent the young man was conveyed to
the city hospital, being accompanied
by DR.. Bellamy. However, he died
within a very few minutes after they
reached the hospital, which was about
7:3Q o'clock.
The deceased had been In the en-
ploy of n Dispatch for only about
two weeks, having prior to that time
beer serving as a messenger boy for
the Western Union Telegraph Compa-
ny. He is a son of Mr.. Jessie Hodges,
who is now in Norfolk. His mother is
dead. He has three younger brothers,
Eddie, Willie and Rufus. Eddie is a
messenger for the Postal Telegraph
Company
At a late hour last night the body
was removed from the hospital to the
residence Oh MIS-. Hayes, dh ddLI VI
the deceased, on Second street, W.
Church and Castle.
A CORONER'S INQUEST.
to the hospital last night n viewed
the body. He decided to hold an in
quest at 10 o'clock this morning, when
the following persons will hear and
pass upon the evidence, to wit: DR..
Lane, Mr.. Ed. Yopp. Mr.. James War
wick, Mr.. B. H. Atkinson, Mr. j. NJ.
Hall and Mr.. r. w. Haywood.
HOW THE ACCIDENT OCCURRED.
Just how the accident occurred will
probably never be known. 1t seems to
nave been just one of those unaccount-
able things which will happen in the
best regulated offices. 1t is generally
conceded that no blame can be at
tached to any one connected with the
Dispatch office. The most plausible
theory is that in moving about under
the press young Hodges, in some way,
pushed the shifting rod which con-
meets the shifting lever stationed by
the feeders stand with the belt on the
opposite side of the press, the rod In
question passing asyit does under the
press to enable the pressman who feeds
the paper into the press TO stop OF start
it up at will.
When the accident occurred the is
sue of the paper was only o TWO
thirds printed and no effort was made
to complete the issue, so that many
subscribers could not De served WITH
the paper last night.
The Messenger on yesterday n
nounced the horrible accident at the
office of the Evenig Dispatch by which
Joe Hodges, the pressman, met a ter
rible death, by being caught and hav-
ing his head crushed in the machinery
while underneath the press attempt
ing to ferret out the cause of some
defect in the operation of the machine
and stated that DR.. Richard j. Price,
the coroner, had ~impanelled a jury
which would meet at 10 o'clock yester-
day morning to hear evidence as to
the accident, the jury impaneled being
Of DR.. w. w. Lane, MI. E.
G. Yopp, Mr.. James Warwick, Mi. r.
II. Atkinson, Mr.. J. NJ. Hall and Mr..
r. w. Haywood. They met according
to announcement in the grand jury
room at the court house. However, 1t
was found necessary to examine only
two witnesses. They were MI. j. NJ.
Judge. a printer, who, as stated in yes
terday's report, entered the press room
i'm time to stop the press just as 1t had
made one revolution and dealt the fear
full blow upon young Hodges head
which caused his death, and Mr.. j. T..
Lewis. foresman- OF the news depart
ment of The Dispatch printing office.
Mr.. Judge testified that he and Mr..
Lewis were defending the stairway
leading from the composing room TO
the press room about $50 o'clock Fri
day afternoon; that Just as he reached
the press room he heard one OF the car
rier boys, of whom there were several
in the con shout Don't start the
press, Joe Hodges is under it," that
he did not know what caused the boy
> to give this warning; that he saw the
press had started and rushe to the
drive wheel which he caught, thereby
stopping the press.
Being questioned by DIR. Price, Mr..
Judge stated that he did not believe
anybody was near enough to the shift
Ing lever to have pulled it either by
accident or Intentionally. and thereby
have started it.
In reply to a question as to whether
he would have gone under a press to
tinker with the machinery without
having first cut off the electric cur
NY mt