Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1906-08-09
MEETS HIS DEATH
By ELECTRICITY
JOSEPH BREWER, AGED is, |.
KILLED BY TAKING HOLD
OF LIVE WIRE
Was Son of Mr.. and Mrs. Clinton
Brewer, Who Reside at $40 South
Iowa Avenue-Dies Almost Instant
: ly.

From Wednesdays Daily.
Joseph Brewer, aged Is years, son
of Mr.. and Mrs. Clinton Brewer, 30
South Iowa avenue, was instantly kill
ed last evening at 8:45 o'clock near
Redman's grove, Lis death said to
have been caused by contact with live
electric wire.
Young Brewer was member Of the
East End Presbyterian Junior band
which was holding practice last even
ing at the East End church. After
practice, Brewer, with other boys, left
the church and proceeded to Redman's
grove, near Iowa avenue, where the
weekly church concert was in progr
A number of the boys of which
Brewer was one, played in the park
for short time and then left the
tween the park and Iowa avenue and
there amused themselves around a
pole which held an electric arc light.
Here Brewer took hold of the wire
which Is used for raising the lamp.
This wire, 1t is said, was charged with
electricity and the boy received a suf-
ficent shock to cause his death, dying
almost instantly.
Dr. Rudolph Oden was called to the
scene of the accident but could render
no assistance FOR life was extinct. =
Joseph EreWer was a member OF the
Sabbath school OF the East End Pres
byterian church and was very popular
among a number of the young people
of the East End. He Is survived by
mother and father, Mr.. and Mrs. Gin
ton Brewer, two brothers, Lee and
Frank Brewer, and one sister, Miss
Sadie Brewer
The light to which the arc cable is
attached, which is supposed to have
caused the death of young Brewer, is
part of the park lighting system, and
it, with the other arc lights in the park,
are used only on such nights as the
grove itself is used. These lights are
not part of the regular street light.
ing system.
Drawing Sparks.
1t is said by bystanders that Brewer
and number Of other young lads had
been playing around one of the poles
in the park, drawing sparks from the
arc cable on 1T, by touching them
with wet pieces of wood They were
| told to leave the park, after refusing
to desist from this dangerous pastime,
| by N. T. Sleight, superintendent of the
packing plant of John Morrell & Co.,
| Ltd, who is one of the park officials.
| Leaving the park the boys went to
the lamp between the grove and Iowa
avenue. Here they continued playing
with the arc cable which is used in
raising and lowering the lamp. Ac-
cording to the best evidence obtaina-
BILE at this time, this cable also was
sufficiently charged with electricity to
give off sparks.
Young Brewer is then said to have
grasped the cable with his left hand
and received the shock which resulted
almost instantly in his DEATH
Charging Unsolved.
Officials of the Ottumwa Railway &
Light Co. stated this morning that they
had examined both the light, where
the fatal accident occurred, and the
other lights in the park, and no reason
could be discovered as to why these
cables should be charged. While it did
not seem possible to controvert the
fact that at least one of them, the one
where Brewer was killed, had carried
| d Hed'y SuiAohI, thoio was lloIHiH6 ~
the condition of the wires leading to
the arc, to show how any connection
with the arc cable could have been
| formed.
The manner in which the arc cable
became charged is to them a complete
mystery, but every effort possible will
be made to discover the cause. All
of the arc cables will now be shorten
ed so as to be completely out Of reach
of any adventurous spirit, who may
wish to tempt fate by touching them
is drawing large crowds to town each