The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1901-12-19
WAS 1T ELECTRICITY i?
1t Is Presumed That Henry Dumire's
Death Thursday Night Was
Caused By
SHOCK FROM GRASPIhG A LIVE WIRE
At the Corner ofSecond and Centre Streets.
The Lamp Was Not Burning-He At
tempted, SO it is Thought, to Set the
Light Going.

Henry Dumire, ICED about nineteen
years, and for some months past en-
ployed by DR.. Henry w. McComas
as a driver, was found dead at the
foot of an electric light pole at the
corner of Second and Center streets
in Oakland last Thursday evening
about 7.30 o'clock by DR.. w. H.
Ravenscraft, who was passing at the
time and whose attention was direct
ed to the body by Mrs. J. C. Peddi-
cord, who resides adjoining the scene
ofthe accident and who heard a groan
and the fall of the body simultane-
ously. The physician made an exam
ination of the body but could discover
no signs of life
The right hand of the dead boy was
in his trousers pocket, while his left
hand lay extended from his body.
One knee was resting against the
pole. The body was lying diagonally
across a small plank walk which
spans the putter at this point. Dr.
Ravenscraft, after making the exami-
nation, summoned some help and the
body was carried into the McComas
Sanitarium, located just across the
street, where a more minute exami-
nation was made by Drs. Ravenscraft,
McComas and Legge. The physicians
discovered slight abrasion in the
palm of the left hand. At the arm
pit was another abrasion of the skin
and then crossing the body at an
angle abrasions were found down the
right side and leg to the heel. The
physicians, upon completing ther ex-
animation, gave it as their opinion
that death resulted from an electric
shock, sustained by grasping with
the left hand a live wire highly
charged.
The young man had left DIR. Ne
Comas' residence but a few minutes
prior to his death and it is supposed
that in passing the pole from which
the arc lamp is suspended he grasped
the cable and attempted to renew the
current so that the lamp would re-
sumo burning, unaware that the
cable was charged. AS soon as it be-
came known to the authorities that
the fatality had happened Coroner
Gender had Sheriff Maffett sum-
mon jury to enquire into the cause
of death. The jury was composed of
Messrs. Edwin l.. Mitchell, George w.
Wilt, A. g. Sturgiss, Edward Chance,
James Treacy, Peter A. Chisholm,
Frank Calls, S. o. Wiley, William
Weber, w. d. Dixon and George
Geissman.
The jury viewed the body and had
summoned as witnesses Mrs. Peddi-
cord and DR.. Ravenscraft. Mrs Ped
dicord testified as to hearing a groan
and the fall of body just outside of
her house. DR.. Ravenscraft testified
substantially as to the finding and ex-
animation of the body as above set
out.
The jury returned it's verdict in ac-
cordance with the testimony that the
deceased came to his death by some
cause unknown to the jury, no one
having witnessed the death or having
seen Dumire grasp the wire.
The body was prepared for burial
by Messrs. ID. E. Bolden g. Co., and
on Saturday morning the remains
were taken to point beyond Aurora
for burial.
The deceased had a policy for 800
in an insurance company, having
taken it out but few weeks ago.
His father is employed as watch
man by the b. & o. at the Second
street crossing in Oakland.