Red Lodge picket. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1889-1907, 1902-10-03
FATAL FALL OF ROCK
John w. Burns, Labor Candidate for
Sheriff, Killed in Rocky
Fork Mines.
AT WORK ON LAST SHIFT
Unfortunate Man Intended to Quit
Digging Coal and Begin Canvass
for office-The Inquest.

sheriff upon the county labor ticket,
was killed while at work yesterday
morning at the mine. The accident
Whicn deprived the unfortunate man
of his life occurred on his last Shift
for he intended to leave the mine last
evening to follow an active canvass
for the shrievalty. His death re-
moves in shocking manner one Of the
best known men in the mine and
highly respected citizen of the city
Of Red Lodge, and makes the second
fatality at the mines within month.
The accident happened shortly at
tel 10 o'clock in room IS Of the fifth
entry east Evan Evans and Clarence
Fulton were his fellow workers. |
Burns was on bench getting out coal
when Evans and Fulton heard fall
of rock Upon looking toward the
place where Burns had been they saw
that his lamp was out and he was en-
shrouded in darkness. As they ap-
preached they heard him grOan and
they found him lying face downward
in the center of the room, mixed up
| in clutter of coal and rock that had
fallen with him. Evans asked him if
he was badly hurt and Burns replied
that he thought both his legs were
broken. AS they were taking the un-
fortunate man to the surface on
car he spoke once, saying sadly, "Poor
Jack is done for" Otherwise he made
no remark further than to ask feebly
for drink of water. The limp form
was carried to the temporary hosptta1s
upon the grounds and DR.. Souders
summoned. There were few futter-
ings of the heart after the physician
arrived, and the spirit left its tene-
ment of clay.
Coroner Kelley was notified and he
empanelled jury, which at o'clock
visited the place where the remains
lay, viewed the Jagged cut in the right
Jaw and the injuries to the body
which had broken the left thigh and
crushed the life out, and thereupon
adjourned to DR.. Kelley's Office where
the testimony was taken, the follow
ing named persons comprising the
coroner's jury: Henry Rosetta, Jack
Rose, George Anderson, w. ]. Girls
mas, Martin Golden, A. M. Howell and
John Il. Price.
Evan Evans gave his testimony
which was to the effect that he and
Clarence Fulton were the first persons
to reach the injured man and assisted
him to the car and brought him out
I that the mortally wounded miner
could summon before he became I'm
: conscious and stated further tha
\ Burns had fallen from bench which
was about eight feet high and tha
rock which fell in pieces came to th
floor of the room with him. Witnes
was working on cross-cut abou
twelve or fifteen feet away when tn
accident occurred. Evans said h
. considered the place reasonably sal
and that the roof had been sounde
yesterday morning.
Clarence Fultons testimony was t
the same effect
Pat Johnson, an Old-timer OF Ion
experience in the Rocky Fork min'
testified to examining, after the bod
had been removed, the room in whic
Burns lost his life. He was of tn
opinion that death resulted fro1
Burns fall to the floor rather tha
from his being crushed by the roc
He stated that the blood where Burr
had lain was on top OF the rock tn;
had fallen and that the indication
were that the body lay on top and
the side of the rock. The strata
coal upon which the miner had bee
at work was only about sixteen inc
]. es wide and it was witness belief tn
the feather edge Of the rock in it's IA
had precipitated Burns to the roo
below, distance of about eight fee
There were indications that Burr
body had been pierced in two plac
as a result of the fall. There was
deep cut in the thigh and the inju
:, to the jaw was as If the face HI
w. come in contact with some sharp
strument. Johnson accounted for t
deep cut in the jaw by the victim
striking against wedge which "
driven in the floor of the room. T
deep wound in the thigh could not
= accounted for. Johnson said Bur-