The times., 1901-06-15
PROBING MUSOON'S DEATH
The Ownership and Exact Location
of the Fatal Wire in Doubt.

Further Testimony Regarding the
| Accident to the Young Boy EIcc-
trocutcd in II Mulberry Tree Near
Georgetown to BE Continued Today
In order to obtain information concern
ing the ownership of the electric wire and
the title to the property on which the ac-
cident occurred, the Coroner's jury sum
moned to determine the responsibility for
the death of Charles =. Musson is to con-
tinue its sessions today. Young Musson.
a boy eleven years old. and the son of
Poyuton w. Musson. of Georgetown, was
| electrocuted while gathering mulberries in
a tree near Georgetown last Wednesday
morning. The testimony heard at yester-
| days sessions of the inquest developed
the story of the occurrence substantially
as it has been printed in The Times. But
| it did not reveal whether or not the wire
| from which the shock was received be-
| longs TO the Washington and Great Falls
| Electric Railway Company, nor whether
| the property on which the boy met his
| death is owned by that company or by
| Mace McKenney. the owner Of the adjoin-
ing farm land The inquest was adjourned
! accordingly until today. when witnesses
| are TO be heard to determine the two
! questions.
! Coroner hewitt presided at the enquiry
| yesterday, and a number of witnesses
were heard. Through a misunderstanding
| two juries had been summoned by the pO-
| lice, and one was excused. The one Sc
! lected to pass on the case is composed
| Of the following: David Ustmar James
| W. Mckee, William Wolf, NJ. T. Luber,
| John Holmes. and William 3. Moore.
| This body gathered at the Sixth precinct
station, and by direction of the Coroner
was conveyed to the Seventh precinct sta
| ton in Georgetown.
On being sworn, the jury was informed
that Musson's death had been caused by
an electric current. Coroner hewitt told
the jury that there were distinct burns
on the right side of the face besides de-
| cided burns of the right hand. Having
previously viewed the remains, the jury
was ready to hear witnesses.
a sister of the dead boy Mabel Musson
aged eight years, took the stand. She said
her brother climbed the tree. and after
ward called to her to come and gather
muiberries as they fell to the ground.
The child was unable to tell the jury just
how her brother died, and was soon ex-
| cused. b. F. Colvin, a painter. whose
| home is in Alexandria County, Va, was
next sworn. He testified that he was
| painting the roof of a house rot far from
| the tree in which young Musson met
death. Colvin heard Mrs Amanda e
Douglass, aunt Of the dead boy, calling
for help. and went, with NJ. c. Dyer, a
fellow-workman, to her aid Colvih saw
Mrs. Douglass up in the. tree, and climbed
up after her, to bring the body of the
boy down. He bathed the forehead of
the child. who was already dead
On uniuatiCu yitpacS d{1
know whether or not the tree was on
property Of the electric railroad. There is
a bank near the railroad he said. about
six feet in height, while the pole bearing
the wires leans toward the fence. When
he lifted the body down he heard 2
gurgiing sound. and on the ground he
thought he detected pulsation. but found
ne was mistaken. Yesterday, OF his own
accord, Colvin visited the place, he said,
but did not climb the tree He said he
had been warned that it was dangerous
the wires passing near the centre Of the
tree, and the leaves being still wet with
the rain.
The witness further stated that the
body was about twelve feet from the
ground, feet down and head up. when he
arrived. Mrs. Douglass was holding the
boy head From examination by witness
the wire on the pole was four feet over
Mir Mckenneys property. When he saw
Mrs. Douglass in the tree her head was
about eight inches from the vsre and the
body of the boy about eighteen inches or
two feet away.
The aunt Of the dead boy, Mrs. Dou-
glass, was sworn and told the jury that
she heard calls from Mabel MuSsOn, her
niece. and saw the body Of her nephew
UP ia the tree. She FASTENED TO the tree,
climbed up to where the boy was, and
called for help. TWO limbs Of the tree
rested on the wires, and witness thought
young Ausson rested on one Of these
when the accident occurred. Mrs. DOu-
glass thought the wires ran over private
property. She had lived on the place
about five years.
VI. c. Dyer, who responded with Covin
to calls for help, stated to the jury that
at first. on reaching the foot Of the tree.
ne thought young Musson had tainted.
Mrs. Douglass was then part way up the
tree The witness thought the body of
the boy was hanging over the side of the
railroad track. lie examined the wires
afterward, and found two small wires
naked, and one large wire. the insulation
of which appeared very thin.
Foreman o. G. Stearns, Of the Wash
iugtOn Traction and Electric Com
paEy, living at 29i4 Olive Avenue north
west, gave testimony respecting the volt
age Of the various wires He said he had
been told to investigate by Mr.. Lackey.
Secretary of the Company, because of the
death Of young MussOn.
The witness stated that there were nine
wires on the pole, two of which carried
| 200 volts, two others carried G,DOy volts
from o'clock in the evening 10 2 in the
sulated three feed wires for the trolley
system, and some old wires used formerly
| Tor telephone purposes. The feed wires
carried 500 voltage each. The wire was
triple insulated, and the top insulating
was somewhat ragged, but he considered
| the insulation just as good as when first
| put up. Witness stated that there is noper-
feet Insulation, and no matter how well
a wire IS protected II is not absolutely
safe. He did not regard the wire as
being IN dangerous condition, and, for
an overhead wire, was the best that could
be secured
Upon cross-examination the witness
stated that no matter If a person came
In contact with two Of the 500 volt wires
he would receive no higher charge than
so volts. 1t was also brought out that
witness ascended the tree not on the
day he sent the lineman up, but some
time Thursday. He denied that the wire
had been repaired since the accident
Edward II. Staub. Of 1880 Columbia
Street. the last witness examined. is en-
ployed by the United States Electric
i.gbftrar EgTupany liUar