Waterbury evening Democrat., 1906-05-09
HE ASKS FOR $5OOO
ADMINISTRATOR ON ESTATE OF
 LATE JOSEPH RING.
The Man Was Killed While Assist ing in Electric Work at Plant
 of the Scovill Mfg Co.

The case before Judge Reed in the superior court to-day was that of At torney William Kennedy, administra- tor, on the estate of Joseph Ring, against the Scovill Manufacturing company for $5,O00 damages for the death of Ring. The accident took place on the morning of September F, last year, which took away Rings life He was then living with his wife and three children on Ridge street. Pre- vious to that he was employed and lived in Naugatuck.
 Ring was 37 years of age, and was laborer assisting in putting up electric wires on the premises of the defendant company There seems to have been wires hanging down in all directions and pushing them aside Ring put his hand on q live wire, which he sup posed was dead for the time being, and was shocked to almost instant death, 5000 volts passing through his body, 1t is alleged. It is claimed that the wire which he touched with bis hands was uncovered and improperly insulated through the negligence of the coEpany.
 The defense is that Ring was a trespasser on that part of the com pany's premises where the accident took place, and also that he was con- tributory negligent, in that he did not use proper care in his work
 Mrs Ring. widow of deceased, was the first witness. She said that her husbands right hand was burned by the e.ectrieity and there were two holes. like pin holes in his forehead. Cornelius Leahey, 131 Charles street, the second witness saw Ring soon af- ter the accident and could not say if he was alive or dead. Foreman Will liam Stanley called him to give assist ance There was crowd of a few hundred around very soon. when Leahey saw that Ring had attention. he went to help two other men who had been shocked. These recovered
 Attorney Kennedy asked Leahey if there were any ladies in the crowd and Leahey said there were a number of women. John J. McEvoy an under taken with James H. Mulville testified Rings right hand was clutched and burned. He had charge of the body Dr Hayes stated that he with George Goss tried to bring about respirat tion in Ring, and Bridget Kenney an em- ploye of the company said she never spoke to anybody about the accident, even 10 Mrs Ring. though the night of the accident she called at the Ring house. This closed the plaintiffs case and F. o. Goss was called for the de- 
 He stated that he could not say how long the wire which Ring had clutch ed was fin use. Judging from the condi- tion of the pole it was on he would say that it was about ten years, but he had no knowledge Of that. There Is a rule in the concern that employees shall not leave the departments in which they are employed. This Is a stringent rule. So far as he knew the insulation of the wire in question had not been examined. and he did not know it carried either a dangerous or a deadly voltage.
 Before the accident to Ring there was another that morning in which two men, John Ross and Edward Saum. were knocked unconscious.
 David B. Meth. electrical superin- tendent for the Connecticut Railway and Lighting Go. testified that some time before the accident he examined the electric light wires running into the factory and found they were all right. Mir Gilliland. employed by the New England Engineering Co. was with him at the time and looked over the wires also. The day of the acci- dent Mir Meth inspected the wires again and found them in proper con- dition and position.