The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-12-25
Elmer Fitzsimmons, n Driver, and
an Unknown Boy Were Also
shocked by Electricity.
THE GUY WIRE WAS CHARGED
BOHAUGH NET DEATH IN GOING TO
FITZsIMMONs's AID.
The Accident Occurred i'm Front OF
Hams Grocery at Madison Az
enue and McCarty Street.

George Bohaugh, sixty years Of age. was
instantly killed at o'clock last night at
Madison avenue and McCarty street by an
electric current. Elmer F'itzsimmons.
driver for NJ. O'Connor & Co., and living
at 7O5 South Capitol avenue. was shocked
and rendered unconscious for few min
utes.
A boy was also shocked. but not severely
and he got away before his name could be
learned
The cause Of the accident was defective
electric wiring. which allowed the current
to flow down a guy wire to the ground.
The accident occurred at a time when
people were going home to supper, and
crowd of one hundred OF more quickly
gathered, and during the excitement several
stories to the manner in which the
events happened were told none of which
could be verified.
Fitzsimmons was delivering groceries to
John Hahn. a grocer at McCarty street
and Madison avenue, and it was in front
of his place that Bohaugh lost his life
After Fitzsimmons had put a number of
boxes on the sidewalk one of the horses
fell down. He went to the horses head
and in trying TO assist it touched the
charged guy wire and was knocked down
by the shock. Several persons near ran
toward him, and among them was Be-
haugh. A moment later Bohaugh was
knocked down and instantly killed by the
current. Some of the witnesses said he
went to assist Fitzsimmons and did not
know the wire was charged. One man
said Bohaugh. when told that Fitzsim-
mons had been shocked said: THAT wires
rot We n
hand.
Fitzsimmons was picked up and carried
into the grocery store, where he recov-
cred consciousness in few minutes, al
though he was yet dazed and unable to
talk.
WIFE AND CHILDREN CAME.
The police were advised and the Dis
pensary ambulance was called. BohaUgh
lived at S4S Mulberry street. a short dis
lance from where ne was killed, ard within
a few minutes mis- wife and three of his
four children were beside his body. They
arrived about the time the body was put
into the Dispensary ambulance. Mrs. b.
haugh was crazed with grief. She climbed
into the ambulance. put her arms about
her deads husbands neck. kissed his face
/ and hands and i'm heart-bTOken voice called
/ loudly in his ear, asking him TO talk tc
/ her. She seemed 10 think IT was impossible
/ that he could be dead When DIR. Jacobs
was ready 10 leave with the ambulance
/ she refused to set out, and it was only by
/ telling her that her husband was not dead
/ and that he must be taken away for med.
! ical assistance that she released her holC
! on him and allowed herself to be lifted
| from the ambulance She was taken home
| by her son. A daughter tainted in the
| crowd and was taken to her home by ar
employee of the Light and Power Company
| FitZsmmons was taken home by a fellow
employee on his own wagon. The body OF
| Bohaugh was taken to the city morgue
where it was viewed by Coroner Braytor
and afterwards taken to an undertaken:
establishment.
Employees of the power company cut tn,
| wire, thereby eliminating further danger
from that source. Edward Schnicker, lv
ing on Mulberry street. said the guy wire
had been charged for two weeks and that
number of persons had to his knowledge
been shocked. but not seriously.
The guy wire was charged by coming IL
contact with one of the feed wires of
street light circuit. Employees of the com
tell the strength of the current.
An electrician who works chiefly will
telephone wires said last night when ht
heard of the accident: I'm not surprised
Some of these days a dozen or more peo
pie will be killed from the same cause
The power company is very negligent in II!
manner of putting up high tension wires
They are strung just to clear other wires
and whenever they sag they touch the
small telephone wires and the current goe:
off into them. Only last week l took from
one of our wires a light wire of about 22O
volts, enough to kill hundred men"