Evening star., 1901-07-18
DEATH DUE TO ACCIDENT
VERDICT OF JURY IN CASE OF
GEORGE PAXTON.
Carpenter Who Was Caught Under
Falling Root and Received Fatal
Injuries-The Evidence.

While returning a glass in which he had
served his foreman with a drink Of water
yesterday afternoon, George e. Paxton was
struck on the head by a falling roof and
received injuries from which he died about
8 o'clock last night at the Casualty Hos
pital. A coroner's jury viewed the remains
at the morgue today and after hearing tes-
timony in the case rendered a verdict of ac-
cidental death.
The accident occurred shortly after .
o'clock yesterday afternoon at the burned
building of the Butterine Company. 502
North Capitol street. The fire which par
TALLY destroyed the building, occurred over
a month ago, but 1t was not until O'Clock
yesterday that the work Of repairing the
structure was begun. At that time Paxton.
who was carpenter, about thirty,eight
years old, and who leaves a wife and two
small children, went to work on the build
ing together with s. w. Smith, foreman,
and two colored laborers. After working
about an hour he went below and got
drink of water. He brought back a glass
Of water to Mr.. Smith. When he again
started back to return the glass he was
caught under the falling roof.
The Inquest.
Coroner hewitt and the jury viewed the
remains before testimony was taken. MI
S. W. Smith. resident of Berwyn. car
pe1lter, was the first witness. Mr.. Smith
had charge Of the work on the building
where the accident happened. At the time
Of the accident Mr.. Paxton was the only
carpenter at work, although there were
two colored laborers employed. In answer
to a question by DR.. hewitt Mr.. Smith said
he had taken charge OF the work at
O. o'clock yesterday, only about an hour be-
fore the accident happened. and that no
on6a faf -
gard to its safety. Mr.. Smith and the two
laborers were working on the roof at the
time 1t fell, and he attributed this as the
cause OF it's fail.
section Of the roof" said Mr.. Smith. when
asked to describe the accident I'VE then
passed ovar one section and We're at work
on the third section. 1 had directed Mr..
Mr.. Paxton went down for a drink of wa
ter. He got the water at the house next
door and brought glass to me. When ne
went down to return the glass the roof pc.
position, but the laborers turned over.
When the roof had settled / saw the legs
of Mr.. Paxton protruding from under its
edge. I had no idea he was under the
roof until then. caught hold of the edge
of the roof and raised it up, and one OF
the laborers took him from under"
Physician's Testimony.
DR.. Harry Wood Tobias OF the Casualty
Hospital testified to treating Mr.. Paxton
at the hospital. Paxton was only par
TALLY conscious when brought there and
gradually became worse until he died,
shortly before o'clock last night. The
doctor said that Paxton's skull was frac-
tured. and that the sutures of the skull
had been separated to such an extent that
internal hemorrhages followed.
Harry Brown, one of the colored labor
CanSton Pemalla
two men who were on the adjoining roof,
all testified substantially as Mr.. Smith had
done.
Contractor F. L. Hanvey, who is making
the repairs, testified that he had just left