The times., 1901-06-13
a BOY ELECTRoCUTED.
Young MUSsOn. Gathering MuIbcr-
ries, Touched Feed Wire.

An electric feed wire for the Washing
| ton and Great Falls Railway. carrying
| Zoo volts, caused the death yesterday OF
! Charles T. Musson. eleven years of age
| son Of Poyntou w. MuSson a letter car.
| rier- whose home is a 3i0l 0 Street north
| west The boy was electroCuted in a tree
| on the farm of Mace McKcnney. neal
| Earleen, about one mile west of George
| town. His remains were brought to the
home Of his parents during the afternoon.
and were prepared for the interment on
Friday. Coroner hewitt has ordered an
inquest in the case for 10 O'Clock Friday
morning, at the Seventh precinct sta
tioU.
Although the boy met death shortly af-
ter 10 o clock yesterday morning. the Sew
enth precinct police knew nothing of it
until late in the afternoon. Even last
night many policemen said they knew
nothing of the matter Sergeant Keefe
was one of these. lie simply said, Il
don't know" to all enquiries oOut the
death Of young Musson. The report Of
the affair did not reach headquarters un-
til nearly 3 o'clock. Then it was Of the
briefest character. and enquiry at the
station revealed nothing further of the
accident.
1t was learned that young Musson went
out along the line of the electric railway.
accompanied by his mother and young
sister. Mrs. MuSson was desirouS of look
ing at a house her husband is building
not far from the spot where the accident
took place. Mrs. Douglas, an aunt of
young Mlusson, lives in the same vicinity,
and she first learned of the death of her
nephew.
While Mrs. MuSSon was looking through
the dwelling Charles and his little sister
roamed about for a while in adjacent
fields. Soon they came to the line OF the
electric railway and the boy climbed
tree to pick mulberries. while his sister
waited below to gather them up in her
apron as they fell to the ground. Young
Musson was up the tree some minutes be-
fore he came in contact with the fatal
wire. He was out on a limb hanging al
most over the railroad track, and adja
cent to il were seven wires, two of which
belong to the telephone company.
Just how the boy touched the feed wire
is uncertain, but ii is supposed he failed
to notice it at all. or in his eagerness-to
get some berries reached too far out from
the limb on which he was perched. As
wire more than 2.OO0 volts shot through
his body. He died instantly. Up in the
tree his body wayered for moment. fell
about a foot, and was caught in the fork
of a big limb lower down than the feed
wire, and hung there.
The little sister of the boy saw some
thing was the matter and ran away and
notified her aunt, Mrs. Douglas, who
went to the tree. accompanied by two
men. Mrs. Douglas reached the tree
first. and succeeded in dislOdSing the
body from the fork of the tree. AS the
body fell il was caught by the men who
had come up. and shortly afterward it
was turned over to Undertaken Wise,
who had been summoned by telephone.
The remains of the youth were brought
to Georgetown and Coroner hewitt was
notified. He visited the home of the
child. saw the remains, and afterward
ordered an inquest. 4 question which
-l,..- L., 20 1nrr
feed wire is properly and rightfully placed
through the tree Of the Mckenney farm.
The body of the unfortunate boy was
badly burned, especially about the head
and hands, as though he had fallen and
struck his skull against the wire, after
seizing il with his bands.