Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-04-19
FIXES RESPONSIBILITY
VERDICT OF JURY IN CASE OF JAS
A. ACTON.
Death Attributed to Negligence ON
Part OF United States Electric
Lighting Company.

| Lighting Company.
! The jury of inquest summoned to pass
| upon the death of James Arthur Acton.
| whose body was found in the cable closet
| of the United State Electric Lighting Com
| pany yesterday morning, published in
| The Star. convened at the first precinct
| station today and heard the testimony of
| several witnesses. The jury returned a
| verdict holding the company responsible.
| After stating the young mans death was
| caused by his coming in contact with a
| live wire of the company. the verdict con-
| cludes: I'VE believe that the death of
James Arthur Acton was due to the negli
! gence of the United States Electric Light
| ing Company"
| The funeral of the young man will take
| place from the home of his mother. No.
| 1921 d street northwest, tomorrow after
noon. The body will be inferred at Con-
| gressional cemetery.
Policeman's Statement.
! Policeman L. w. Charlton testified that
| he saw the body of the deceased on the
! ground several feet from where it was
! found yesterday morning. He was in
| formed by Policeman Emmert that the
| body had been removed from the little
| frame structure. The hands of the vic
tim appeared as if they had been burned.
| Witness was informed that the mans
hands We're on the wire when his dead body
was found. One side of his face was very
much diScOlored.
Jesse Lewis, coiored informed the Jury
that he saw the body of the man partly in
the frame structure. Witness did not know
| whether the man was drunk or asleep. and
he did not stop. There was nobody about
the closet 1T the time.
Arthur TrusseIl. 1912 PENNSYLVANIA ave-
nue. northwest testified to seeing the body
taken from the closet by Policeman EN-
inert. Witness had seen Acton several
times picking up wood about Barber &
Ross mill. and had also seen him ABOUT
bethany Chapel on Sundays. He knew
nothing OF the young mans mental condi-
ton.
Alexander Mouton colored, testified that
there We're three men about the BODY when
he reached the scene of the fatal accident
The body WAS then partly in the closet and
partly out. with the hands resting on the
e ere. re, cables. Witness is janitor of the
hrst police station. He reported the finding
OF the body to Policeman Emmert The
door of the closet was wide Open
Others Give Testimony
William Marshall, colored told the Jury
he saw Acton's body yesterday morning
in the closet. The head and arms were in
the structure while his legs were outside.
Joseph Nightingale gave similar testi-
mony. He was one of the first to see the
Dcdy. 1t was then about ten minutes after
6 O'clock.
When witness saw the body he inquired
OF colored man nearby what was the
matter with the man. The latter said he
did not know, and witness upon examining
the body found life was extinct One or
two weeks ago he stated he saw a man
working in the closet. Witness said he
had seen the closet door wide open a num-
Der of times.
Policeman jacobson testified that he had
done duty at times in the vicinity of the
plant of the United States Electric Light
ing Company. He had seen the closet a
number of times, but had never examined
it. Witness expressed the belief that the
structure is outside the building line
Policeman Cats described the position
of the closet, and said he the door
unlocked about two months ago. He looked
in to see what was there. Witness had
received no complaint from the company
about the theft of wire.
Thomas H. Garrison 80 18th street. en-
ployed as a lineman by the United States
Electric Lighting Company. testified to
seeing the body in the wooden structure
yesterday morning. Witness had occasion
to visit the place to make tests. Five weeks
ago he said the door was locked. Since
then it has been closed. but not locked.
He had gone there and found the door
open With the exception of employees no.
body had IL right TO visit the closet At
one time part of the cable was taken away.
The door was nailed, but it was subse-
quently broker open. Witness said he
did not consider the place dangerous.
The insulation. he thought. was nearly
perfect, and he thought he would be will
ing to put his hand on the wire. Witness
said the structure known as a cable
closet and it was built more than three
years ago. The right hand of the victim
was resting the cable when the body
was found. He said the closet extends
about three and one-half feet from the
building. The cable in the closet was
charged with 1000 volts.
Considered Closet as Dangerous.
Albert 0. Stearns 2914 Olive avenue, fore
man for the Washington Traction and
Electric Company, testified that he reached
the cable closet after the body had been
removed He had not been in the closet
for eight months. No report had been
made to him that the lock was out of or
der. The condition of the lock yesterday
Indicated it had not been used lately. No
warning sign was fastened to the door of
the closet. He considered the closet as
dangerous as he did the back of the switch
board. Witness said nothing had been
missing from the closet since the summer
or 1S9 He was told that wire had been
taken from there before he entered the en-
ploy of the company. Witness thought the
wire was charged with about $50 volts
which was dangerous. Under certain con-
d1tlous, he said, 100 volt would cause death
He saw no part of the cable bare.
Deputy Coroner GlaZebrook testified to
the examination he made of the body The
burns on the hands were such as are usual
ly made by electric wires. This closed the