The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-08-09

The post mortem examinatio held on
the body Of Thomas yesterday afternoon
revealed the fact that there was enough
water in the lungs to produce death by
drowning, but did not fix the cause of:
death absolutely. It is possible that
the injury to the dead mans head and
strangulation combined to produced
death.
The inquest was continued this MORN
ing at 10 o'clock and was concluded at
about u. after the examination of sew
eral men who took part in an inspection
of the bottom of the shaft where the
death of Thomas occurred.
The coroners jury yesterday requested
that an examination of the bottom of
the shaft be made, and that the shaft
be pumped out in order that the mud in
the bottm might be searched for an i'm
plement that might have struck Thomas
on the head and knocked him into the
shaft The stump was emptied of water
and the shaft examined and the bottom
searched.
Harry Underwood, one of the witness
ses who participated in the search and
inspection, testified tina ia saw, two
hammers, a drill and some sheet tins
were found in the bottom of the shaft.
He said that the hammer and the pick
fell into the shaft at time known not
long ago. Mr.. Underwood was the en-
ploye of the shaft who found the hat of
the dead man floating on the surface of
the water in the stump.
Asked concerning his opinion as to how
Thomas met his death. he said that he
thought the latter stepped up to the
shaft to ring the bell and fell into it,
and struck one of the timbers with
%oI hot %1No %ivoo1N
in the shafe are square in form and have
sharp edges. He was of the opinion that
the cut on Thomas head was made by
the sharp edge of the timber that he
struck. He had examined the timbers
but had found no marks Or blood stains
on them. He explained, however, that
the water in the shaft would have
washed the blood off the timbers very
quickly.
With reference to the possibility of
Thomas having quarreled with some one
-----,-,,,e on the same level of the mine
with him and been killed by the latter,
the witness said that he knew of no
trouble between Thomas and anybody
and that the former was very quiet and
peaceable.
w. H. Nettle testified that he made an
examination of the shaft timbers yester-
day, from the surface to the bottom, and
that he found the timbers in firm condi-
ton, except as to some tagging. and that
nothing could have fallen upon Thomas
from the shaft.
This witness testified that he found a
chisel on wall plate about forty feet
above the three hundred foot station
where Thomas was working before he
was killed. A chisel was mislaid by the
latter some days ago while he was work.
ing in the shaft, and the theory was ad-
vanced by witnesses on Thursday that
this tool had fallen from the shaft and
struck Thomas on the head. The chisel
found by Nettle is supposed to be the one
that was lost. Hence it could not have
fallen on the head of Thomas.
Foreman Al Abbott Of the shaft where
Thomas worked described what the
search of the stump discovered. He stated
that a block and some wooden wedges
were found in the stump; two hammers
which fell into the latter two or three
days ago, carpenters saw and min
ing pick also a machine drill. five feet
long. and a piece of pipe. three feet long.
Most of these things were embedded in
the mud at the bottom of the shaft
/ which was over three feet deep. Two
carloads Of mud We're sent to the surface
in cleaning out the stump. so everything
in the stump was removed.
Mr. Abbott's theory was that the de-
ceased walked into the shaft while
thinking about his work very intently.
His judgment was that Thomas hat fell
off as he fell. though he stated that
miners frequently were injured on the
head when wearing a hat, and the head