The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1902-04-07
KILLED BY live WIRE
William Ward First Warns People of Danger
Then Grasps the Kissing, SpIuttering
Thing and Falls Dead

william ward. a shoemaker who
had been living AZ the LELAND lodg
ing house on First avenue south was
instantly killed At 30 o'clock last
eTcuing hY an electric shock from a
live telephone wire. The accident
occurred ia front OF WrightH oyster
house nt 90 YeaIer way The street
was crowded with pedestrians az
the tims and several persons mar
rowly escaped electrpcutipu while at
tempting 10 remove the deadly wire
from Wards body.
Tn. wtrew hIch Killed Ward was
part Of the sunset Telephone and
Telegraph Cos system and Jed from
a cable above the street 10 an IN
strumsut IN the oyster house, In
some manner e became looaened
from tta fa<eninEs ana CALLING across
an arc light wire owned by the Seat
tie Electric Co. was burned In two.
Hitssd afa splsttersd
The outer end Of the wire fsil To
the rain soaked pavement. kissing.
apluttering and sending Jets Of flame
In every direction.
ward WAS walking up tho street
and noticed the burning wire. He
ran into the restaurant and warned
several byatauderH and the employees
there Of the danger 81 attempting 90
leave the place. Then he turned and
approached the smoking wire
n guess It's dead now" he re-.
marked. poklnH az n with his UNI
brelia. and then reached 10 grasp a..
Tho act caused him hls lie lie
staggered back past Waiter Hart.
the restaurant cook. who had at
tempted 90 warn him ~ his danger,
and fell heavily agruss the threshold
- the restaurant The wire remain
ed IN his hand ana slowly burned Ne
way through Qesh and bone. almost
seyeriuR the fingers from the hand.
No power would have saved Ward.
however. for he was undoubtedly
killed by the fret shock and never
moved after he fell
Footharsy Attempt
A crowd collected about the dead
man and but for the work OF Police
man W. e. HUBBARD In Keeping them
back two more men would undoubt-
eddy have been killed.
a. 81 Hrifwefafmpr Of 4iG Terrace
street made q foolhardy attempt 90
cut the telephone wire with n pocket
knife and release ward lie was
knocked down, severely shocked and
bruised DR. r. a. whiting tried 10
haul Wards body away ana also
suffered severe shock Several
others had similar experiences before
Charles Rogers. a helper In the reH-
taurant, pushed the wire from The
body with n broom. allowing n 10
be dragged into the restaurant.
Detective Philbrlck who came from
police headquarters % nid Hubbard.
sssfgA q n
the body WAS taken inside. and be-
coming entanRled in the live wire.
was badly shocked In falling no
wrenehed his right leg. but was not
seriously injured. having with great
presence Of mind thrust HE hands I'm
his coat pockets 20 protect them from
the live wire
Frank Pierce, ono Of the first pcr-
sons warned by Weird was badly
shocked before he was aware Of tho
alRuificance Of Wards words and
Was probably saved from serious In
ury by Wards aid ln extricntlng him
from the tangled wire.
After Wards body wns taken IN
from the street telephone lincmpn
cut the wires about tho scene of tho
accident and removed the danger
but the action wns too lnto "a save
most of the telephones I'm tho neigh
hnrhood from being damaged An
the Instruments IN tho city hail and
one ut the police station were rem
dered useless by the burning out ~
n 05-pnir telephone cable Tho loss
70 the company WILDE about 5000
Lived Hsrs Three Months
Wards body was removed 10 the
morRuc by Deputy Coroner Andcr-
son. whore It remained unidentified
until this morning, when Mrs. Jose
phine Ward called and stated that
II was that Of her husband She
stated that she and her husband had
lived In Seattle about three months,