Omaha daily bee., 1903-03-04
BOYISH BANTER IS FATAL
Edward Madsen Killed by Grasping Two
Live Electric Wires.
INSTANTLY KILLED BY HEAVY CURRENT
Warned by His Companions Not to
Touch the Wires, but He Disre-
CARDS the warning, with
Fatal Results.

-
In a spirit Of bravado and with the ex-
pressed intention OF "bantering'' his youth
full companions, Edward Madsen, the 10
y~ear-old son Of Jens G. Madsen, climbed
yesterday afternoon to the top Of one OF
the electric light company's polas in the
alley at the rear Of 112 Fourth street and,
despite the warning of his playmAtes,
grasped the heavily charged feed wires with
both hands. In a few seconds he fell to
the ground a corpse, almost at the feet
Of his Mortified young companions. Young
Madsen lived with his parents at l1e Bluff
street, his father being employed as a
clerk in the store Of John Beno & Co. He
attended the Third Street school and at
the close of school yesterday afternoon,
with several of his young playInates, re-
paired to the home Of Kenneth Harmon, the
young son Of Mrs. Rachel Harmon, at 112
Fourth street. For a while the boys amused
themselves by exercising on the turning
pole in the yard at the rear OF the house.
Then the lads began to BANTER one an
other and dared one another to climb the
pole and touch the first cross-arm. This
feat all Of the boys, except young Harmon,
who had gone into the house, accomplished,
and then young Madsen, in a spirit of bra
vado, said he would climb to the top and
straddle the top cross-arm.
Dead when He Fell.
His companions warned him of the dan
ger. but he persisted. On reaching the
first arm he stood up on 1t and, despite the
continued warnings Of the boys below,
seized the wires with both hands. His
body Strengthened for a few seconds and
then fell to the alley below. In falling the
hnav ofrttoE tho hnard fapno hraaIfD. ana
Of the boards loose. The contact with the
fence broke the lads neck and fractured
his skull, but he was dead when he fell.
Both hands where he had caught hold Of
the electric light wires we're burned to
the bone.
The ~lifeless body Of the little lad was
carried into the warehouse of the Empkie-
Shugart Hardware company and later re-
moved to Cutters undertaking rooms on
order Of Coroner Treynor, who will hold
an inquest this morning.
Horace Greer, the young son Of L. H.
Greer, one of the boys with young Madsen
when he met his death, gave this account
OF the accident. He said after exercising
on the turning pole until they all tired Of
this form Of amusement they began to
banter" one another and each one in turn
climbed the pole and placed their hands on
the cross-arm. Young Madsen then said
II will banter you all. I can climb TO the
top and straddles the top cross-Rrm,r and
| proceeded to do 80. His companions told
| him not to touch the wires, as II he did
] he would get killed. Young Madsen only
laughed back at them and continued to
climb. Reaching the first cross-arm, he
stood up on 1t, and the other boys, fearing
he would catch hold Of the wires to sup
port himself, called out OF him not to do
80. Young Madsen answered back that the
wires would not hurt him, as they were
wrapped and. leaning forward over the
cross-arm, grasped the two heavy cables
with both hands. His Mortified companions
Say smoke began 20 issue from the wires
and young Madsen's body Strengthened out
for a few seconds and then fell back, strik-
ing the board fence in its descent.
Death had evidently come ~instantane-
ously to the boy when ne grasped the wires,
as they carry an exceedingly heavy voltage
and the insulation on them affords no pro-
lection. The wrapping on the feed wires
is only placed there to prevent short cir
cutting in case other wires should come in
contact with them.