Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1901-06-13
STRATTNER GETS $l5, 900
Superior Court jury Reached a Verdict
Friday Afternoon.
ELECTRIC co. MAY TAKE APPEAL
General Sessions Hears Liquor
Cases,
OPPOSED APPLICATIONS. NOT GRANTED

VI SSeb Nv ~ lS'"sf' ~ |
Yesterday week, Irvine Stetstr,
who was an employe OF the electric
company at the time, In October. lSHs,
| Strattnef had his hands burned oil py
the current, said he had been directed
| 10 INSTRUCT Strattuer in his duties; but
he never told Strattner to. use gloves
on tho switch on which ,Strattner's
hands were burned, and never knew of
| the danger there. A abatement made
by Stotser to Harvey B. Vandearilt
shortly after the aooident tt Strattner
| was put in evidence by the defence.
Miss Nellis LeCarpentier and Miss
\ Hendrickson, nurses who attended the
boy at the Delaware Hospital, testified
to the pain he suffered. as result of
his Injuries. - VA,
| u. Reginald Van Trump, superins
tendent OF the electric company, testi
| fled concerning switcheH, mounted on
board, which we're made an exhibit 10
tine case. lie snid they were the
switches or meters at which Stiattner
was injured, and go far rs. be knew no
changes had Teen made in them.
Edward II. Kellar, an expert electric
cal engineer from Philadelphia, was put
| vi Wis hLuuu nuhF Tvs nthtdNpb W6o -
rected to the switches, II said that IL
the Insulation had been done properly
there would have been no current in
front and they would have been sufe to
handle. The witness took a course OF
electrical engineering az the University
oil Penney lvania and studied also at
uanoS err, Germany. ~
On cross examination, Mr.KellRr said
that he had examined many OF the cleo
trio light plants In the East, but was
refused admittanoe to the plant Of the
Wilmington City Electric Co. ..,,...
i The plaintiff rested ut Thursdays
session. His witnesses Thursday we're
Samuel 3. LVolx, Samuel N. Knox and
Saran. "A, Strattner. Mr., Look, an
electrical expert from the University
Of Pennsylvania, testified that. the
switches In evidence were not OF the
beat pattern, syy SN. 81.
MI, Knox, who is an insurance mau
said that the expectation for length Of
life Of a person 70 years old was about
MrsrStrattner toldof her sons suffer.
! inga Us b result Of the ifearful burns he
! raceived.
i In opening for, the, defence the claim
, was made that the mechanism nv the
! electrical works was of approved pat
J tern; that The boy had been properly
Instructed in Its use and that be was
, injured through his owe negligence.
Superintendent Q. Reginald Van
Trump testified concerning the switchss
! which had been purchased by the COM
, pany about six years ago. lie had
shown Young Strattner about the cleo
! irical plant beinre no began to work
J there. Mr.. Weaver gave Mr., Van
! Trump q searching ss.examinstion.
, The superintendent esid that one OF
, The two switches had, not been doing
; the work for which 1t was made and
that hence 1t VASE unnecessary for
Strattner to handle it at all; but DC
D order, was given Strattner not to
oEerate IL. ~ s,ast ses. II l5
Wilbsrt E. Wyatt, engineer ut the
/ electric plant, who learned the bust
ness there, testified that he told Strait
a ner to use only one hand at a time
a when using the high tension switches.
After the accident Wyatt found pieces
q of flesh on the brass portion OF tht
b handles. outside of the hard-rubber sur
: face. si.4 4s!5I Es. f
? Friday morning, nunerous attorneys
/. attended to hear the visiting COUNSEL
0 Mr.. Bloomington CLOSED for the cleo
!, trio company, arguing that the boy
i himself was negligent, and urging the
Jury not to allow sympathy for him To
d affect their Judgment g
Q The closing address for the p,aintif
" was made by Mr. Woaver, who de
/. livered most powerful plea for yer
}. dict for the injured boy. He saie
I. | that one thing showed that Strnttne
10 was not experimenting at the time o.
10 the accident, for after the accident, tn,
/ Lao x.n1nsl sUhtah he ttaad fnr
the meter readings was found burned
into his hand. Mr.. Weaver sait
Strattner was, never warned rs TO th'
danger of the switch hapdle- As to tn
1t damages, the attorney said tho boy wa
entitled to q verdict fur his pain, hi
" mental suffering, the loss of his arms
$, and for an attendant. He asked then
], not to give beggarly verdict, but Il
:, give oae Commensurate with his in
/. juries, The fact that Strnttner lost hi
IN forearms was stiikiugly brought out b.
ID Mr.. Weaver when he said he Ind in
" advertently put out his hand to gras
70 Strattner's, and Mr., Bloomington ha
D. asked Strattner TO poiptiwItb his finge
TO st something. When fly lighted o.
- the boy's head, he could not brush
O. of. and he could not put on his ha
II without assistance. Y
D. hb ihhipduJ NiNoiHoVh Q opsaiYf tESNN
I'd Jones, engineer at the electric ligh
!. works, said be trld Strattper 10 us
lg gloves in. handling the switches tina
IN controlled the alternating currents, an
as to use one hand only.
i, Henry Hewitt said he warned Strati
nnr to avoid the alternating currents MI
not to put himself into such rcsitio
We as to allow tho current to pass throug
HI him. One of the switches was out {
Is order at the time OF the accident.
nd Howell II. Van Trump, brother
ur Superintendent Van Trump, said b
on was on duty at the time OF the acciden
az but was asleep. This caused a laugh
", Both,sides rested. Prayers wore sui
he mitted to the court, and argument WI
iir begun TO the Jury. Harry Emmona {,
1is the plaintiff and James W. Ponder Il
of the defendant, addressed the Jury.
Is Chief Justice Lore delivered II
ef- charge to tho jury, which was vel
brief, and the jury retired about II.
-a O'Clock.
r. Andrew u, Gray applied for col
= tinuance in the case of Viva Leonal
en vs.. tho Philadelphia. Wilmington
SIC Baltimore Railroad Co ION! the Rrour
of the absence OF material witneF
'o' DIR. 8. o. Frederick stated that JOB
McCaulley was iii, and Roscoe
'al Baylis, chief clerk OF the railroa
stated that MoCauley was crossing
- a a l.