The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1903-01-22
Community.
Granite. Greg Gem

eommuuttJ'
G. anlte, Greg, Gem.
While lat work about 20 feet from
the face OF No. 3 Monumental drift at
the old Monumental mine near Gran
lite, Mr.. W. l.. Stapleton was caught
under about $500 pounds OF falling
rocks. The accident occurred We'd
nesday morning at about $50, and
resulted in death at IL o'clock that
night.
Oscar Benson, who has charge OF
the work at the mine, was the only
person near Mr.. Stapleton when the
dirt fell. Hi account OF the accident
is substantially as follows; AT the
moment Mr.. Stapleton was struck by
the falling rock, was about eight
feet from the face OF the drift, and the
first intimation | had of anything
unusual occurring was the sound of
the rock and groan from Mr.. Sta
pleton. He was several feet from me
shoveling into car, and when got
to him was in a sitting position, COW
cred to his shoulders with rocks and
dirt. He did not speak after being
struck, but groaned continually. 1t
took me sometime to get him from
under the dirt, after which carried
him to the blacksmith shop at the
mouth Of the tunnel, where left him.
Telling his wife OF the accident, then
came to town to secure medical aid. +"
DR.. Steincamp and a number of
Others left for the mine as soon as
they received word, arriving there
about four hours after the cave in
happened. Every thing possible was
done to relieve the suffering man,
but it was seen at once that there
was no chance for his recovery. His
skull was fractured from the right
temhle across the forehead above the
right eye and under the left eye. The
only other cut on his person being on
the left arm above the elbow, and but
very few bruises were found on his
body. By many it is consider a
miracle that he was not killed in
stantly.
A number of experienced miners
have examined the place where the
cave occurred, and they say that for
about 100 feet from the face, the
drift is perfect death-trap, with not
single stick of timber for protec-
ton. The formation OF the rock is
porphryritic granite; seamy and
broken. The seams are filed with
tale that Stacks as the air comes in
contact with it and causes the walls
and roof Of the drift to stuff off in
large pieces. 1t is quite clear that
the accident could have been avoided
if precaution had been taken to tim
Der the dangerous ground.
Mr.. Stapleton had been employed
at the Monumental for about eight
months. He was well known aid
respected in the community as an up
right and honest man. He was 30
years old last May, and leaves a wife
and little son, three years of age, to
mourn his untimely death; also par
ents at Clinton, Mo-, two married
sisters, one at Clinton, the other at
Kansas City, and Miss Cora Staple
ton, OF Granite. He was nephew of
s. W. and G. HI. Gutridge, Mrs. Jack
son and Mrs Grant Thornburg, all
OF Granite.
The funeral took place this after
noon at 2 o'clock, large number OF
deceased friends gathering at the
grave to see the last sad rights per-
formed.
The death at the Monumental mine
calls to the minds OF old timers
another tragedy which occurred at
the mine about twenty years ago in
which a man named Motley was kill
ed by an explosion of giant powder.