Gloucester County Democrat. (Woodbury, N.J.) 1878-1932, 1903-01-22
INVESTIGATING THE TH0ROUGHFARE
EXPLOSION.
Coroner Stout Conducts the Inquest into the
Cause of Hannah Richards Death.

O6uH0
At O'Clock last Monday afternoon Coro-
ner Stout began the investigation OF the
cause of the death Of Hannah w. Richards,
at Thorofare, N. j., who at the time OF the
explosion at Wilkins Bros store was one
of the employees. The following citizens
composed the jury: VIM. G. Cattell, Benz.
Leap. Harrison S. Chew, Howard Phiifer,
VIM. Tredway, G. B. Leonard.
DIR. Reading was the first witness and
testified to attending 7. Wood Wyne on
Sunday, December 7, who was one OF the
explosion victims. Last Monday he was
called to see Miss Richards, in consultation
with other physicians; found her in serious
nervous condition caused by shock.
DIR. H. H. Clark testified that he was
called to Thorofare on December 5, and
arrived there at 5. 80 p. M; found Charles
wilkins suffering intensely from shock and
burns: head was burnt black and limbs red;
must have been burnt by actual flame; the
clothing was torn from left leg as ii cut by
knife. The building looked as if dynamite
had exploded, but the burns could not
have been caused by that substance.
Juror Cattell asked if powder could
cause such burns, and if gasoline would
cause them. The Doctor replied that in his
opinion powder could cause tRem II the
person was close enough, or gasoline eegldr
DR.. Brewer, who attended VIM. McGlli,
one of the victims, who was burned about
the face and one hand, said the skin was
blackened, but soon cleared up and showed
no trace of stain.
DIR. Diyerty, who attended Miss Richards
from the time of the accident, testified she
was badly burned about the left side OF face
and head: skin was of about the forehead,
and face and back of neck; her bair was
badly singed. All burns had healed nicely,
leaving scars In front OF the ears; she moved
about, but was exceedingly nervous; could
not rest at night and saw invisible things;
from New Years until her death she was
delirious, mildly violent.
When the explosion occurred she was
standing behind the counter, near the feed
room, facing toward Philadelphia, was not
singed or burned about the right side of
head, Death, he said, was due to the ex-
plosion.
Walter Marcole, another victim, was
burned about the face from his hat line
down; eyes were congested and swollen,
burns were deep but healed nicely.
Thomas Cowley, was badly burned about
the face and neck; fingers were burned so
that great bladders stood out from finger
tips to knpekles; his ears are not yet
healed,
Walter MARBLE was standing In rear of
store leaning against the counter when Mr..
Wilkins went around the counter and
struck match: that was the last he knew
as something seemed to strike him; found
himself in cellar; saw them take out Han
nah Richards; saw no fire in cellar; saw no
smoke nor detected any odor; was burned
about face and head.
Charles Wilkins testified that he had
weighed barrel of sugar and lighted gas
oline lamp over the counter; he took two
matches kblpe heads1 and struck one on a
weight to light another lamp, the explosion
followed; went out across the street where
people put out fire on his clothing; windows
and doors pushed out, goods all scattered /;
he seemed to be in the centre of the explo-
sion. The lamp he was about to light was
in easy reach OF the floor; he had not quite
reach it with the match when the explosion
came. He had purchased 70 gallons of oil
from the Standard Oil Co. wagon that day;
the oil pump on oil tank was blown off; tank
was in cellar directly under where he stood
when the explosion occurred-the pump
came up through the floor. About II to 2
pounds Of smokeless powder and some black
powder were on shelf near by; his face,
neck, and hands were burned.
VIM McGill testified that he was seated
on stool near the stove; saw Mr.. Wilkins
strike match, and then ball of fire as
large as his head went up to the ceiling;
then something struck him in the face and
be found himself in the cellar. Saw no fire,
nor noticed any odor.
Wood Wyne, who stood between the door
and tobacco case, saw Mr.. Wilkins strike
match and when he came to was on his
hands and knees in the cellar; the smoke
had queer smell; helped to carry Miss
Richards out; saw a little fire in the cellar;
goods were scattered about.
James Williams, the man who drove the
oil wagon, said he put 70 or so gallons in
the oil tank; Mr.. Truncer asked him what
he had on and he said, oil; he carried oil
from Woodbury. to Pennsgrove, and gaso-
lene from Pennsgrove to Woodbury.; he had
not been in the employ of the Standard Co.
since January LIST; when he came up Thurs
day had about 40 gallons in tank; the con-
tents were emptied by spigot.
Louis Wilkins, one of the firm of Will
kins Bros, who was not at home on fatal
day, testified that he found the oil pump in
the tank but the goose neck was off; it was
found in the cellar; the oil in the tank, 100
gallons, was sold three weeks after the ex-
plosion.
Faunce Cowley saw Mr.. w. strike a
match, heard report, and when he came
to himself was crawling over rubbish to the
street; ball Of fire seemed to strike him in
the neck.
Mrs. Platt and Charles Gleeson's testi-
mony shed no light on the mystery.
Mrs. Lodge, who bought five gallons Of
oil, said she broke five chimneys in short
time but noticed nothing wrong with the
OIL
Augustus Truncer, a merchant at Thoro-
fare, testified that he asked the oil man on
Friday what he had in his tank and he an
swered, ''gas." On the following Monday
he asked him what he had on Friday ard
he replied, gasoline
Ben Lawton, Standard Oil Department
Superintendent, testified that the gas tank
was in first class condition, with lid tight;
he took sample bottle of oil which was
spilled on Truncer's floor and the stain re-
manned several days.
Sydney Emory, employed as chemist at
Repauno Chemical Co., testified he went
to the scene and surveyed the place; he said
that the amount of powder in the store
could not have produced any such effect;
he produced the original can that had con-
tanned the smokeless powder and said that
a can of such would scarcely have broken
a window; he found no Indication Of dyna-
mite; he doubted that any powder could
have produced that result; he said that it
had an appearance of two explosions occur
ring at the same time; he thought that
even small quantity of gasoline in the oil
could not have produced the result; it
would take nearly so percent to produce
any such result; he was of the opinion that
some kind of gas had produced the wreck
he thought that the powder could not pro-
duce the burns; he thought the powder
theory out Of the question.
The verdict of the jury follows: Hannah
A. Richards came to her death by reason of
an explosion caused by the vapor Of gaso-
line arising from the oil tank in L. K. Will
kins & Bros store, and we exonerate the
said firm of L. K. Wilkins & Bro. from all
L