The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1907-11-13
DENlsoN FIRM SUFFERS.

After two days legal battle q
Harrison county jury brought in a
verdict for S2OOO.00 damages in the
suit brought against Pfarr. Gebert
and Hunt for the accident which
caused the death Of Mrs. Ina Chap
man and three children near Pisgah.
Iowa last May.
The facts are as follows: On May
LIST. The Boys. at their branch store
at Pisgah. received from the Standard
Oil Co. DARRELL of kerosene. bearing
the mark of state inspection and
showing that it was LOG by the flash
test.
| For two weeks oil was sold out of
this DARRELL to customers in town and
county for both heating and illumina-
ting purposes. 1t was used in the
lamps in the store and to sprinkle
the floor. During this two weeks
there were no accidents and no COM
plants or ground for suspicion raised
as to the quality of the oil. save in
one instance. On Thursday a lady
telephoned Mr.. Strong. manager of
the store. that she thought there was
gasoline in .heir kerosene. Mr..
Strong thereupon. in the presence of
witnesses drew some of the oil in a
saucer and applied the so-called
tfire-test" several times. That is,
he lit match and brought the blaze
slowly to the surface of the liquoc
noting whether or not there was ar
explosion as from gas. The oil
showed no signs of any dangerous
qualities and Mr.. Strong continued t.
use and sell the oil.
On Saturday May, 25th he sold q
gallon of it to Mrs. Chapman. sh,
took it to her home. poured oil OF
cobs in the stove. set the open cal
down beside her. struck match an,
an explosion followed which resulted
in her death seven hours later and il
the death of three OF her children
The husband sued for damages for tn
loss of the service and society of hi
: wife. The Judge held that damage
II could be awarded only for the loss Q
!. said service and society during tn
seven hours between the time of tn
: accident and the time of her death
1t would seem that these instruction
: had been disregarded by the jury j
Q fixing the damage at $4,000. In Den
= son much sympathy is felt for til
! The Boys. While the accident Wa
= heat-rending it does not appear
+ the average layman that the rigl
- parties are being made to suffer.
Il appears to US that the state inspect,
>, whose careless work makes such acc
~ dents possible is the man. who with ii
>. Standard Oil Co. is to blame. "
= think the inspectors resignatit
- should be demanded. The stencil
10 the state on the Darrell ought to pr
tect the merchants against damal
and if it does not the inspection far
should be abandoned.
ID We have heard reports of sever
ne such mistakes" in this vicinity. al
ne we believe that if his attention
m properly called to the matter. CO.
I'd Cummins will institute an investig
lg tion which will make the inspect,
at reality hereafter. In the mea
r. time, three splendid. hard workir
ne young merchants are being made
IN suffer because of a DARRELL of {
7e which could never have been proper
IN tested. but which nevertheless boz
I. the official stamp. 1t is the hope
1s Denison friends that the responsible
m ity will ultimately be placed up
S. the right shoulders. not upon Il
III shoulders of the Denison merchants.