The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-07-01
ely OWENS KILLED
BY 4 LIVE WIRE
Heavy Current Passes Through
His Body-Death Was
instantaneous.

Guy Owens, one of the best-known
electricians In the city. was killed las,
J night shortly after o'clock by an
| electric shock received in attempting
! to disconneet the current of the Ha-
waiffn Electric system from the Ka-
mehameha Schools system. He had
climbed a pole near the school tool
sho.s for this purpose. though he had
beer told not TO do it, and when he
did lot return those associated with
him in the work going on went out 10
see what was the matter and found
his ifeless body resting on the cross
bar of the pole, in an attitude as
thoslgh he might have been al work.
UstiI very lately the school buildings
of the Kamehameha Schools have been
supplied with electric light By the Ha-
waisan Electric Company Recently
the school has inauguFatsd an electric
plaG of its own operated by gasoline
| engine. The complete installation was
mace only a day or two ago, Owens
WAS in charge of the electric installa-
| tractor. It was stated last night tina {
the Hawaiian Electric Company's con-
neetson had been cut when the school
plant was started up. But yesterday
afternoon there was some difficulty
with the school plant or It's engin~,
| and in order to have light to work
with at night Owens had, during the
day and while the current was turned
of. reconnected the Hawaiian Com
! panyfs system. This furnished light
during the early period of the evening
| while the school system was still out
of commission.
:. ,A}at eight O'Clock last night or q
j little iater the trouble with the school
:. system was remedied and its own cur
:, nent was turned on, rendering the
i nnection with the Hawaiian Electric
SAtem unnecessary. Thereupon Owens
N slaed to Mr.. Gill. the chief electrician
o. u se school system. tllat he would
: uect from the Hawaiian Elec-
tiie vstem, as otherwise the meter
Mouiu 4ow consumption of current
ie io1 why the school would have TO
N pay WI Gin replied that he hal set
ar .er hoI vt neither the deterinIna-
le aioh 20 oiSsnnect nor the sugg estion
>. sila' ne aatetter not, seems to have
~ peen positiset stated
IF However, ON.ps wen, a,,+ of the
Duiaihg ana a'ew minutes later, as
H. hameha student ", has he1,,, ,,orlsir,e,
e, on the electric oscillation undar
ID Owens, picked UP sxantarn ana went
out to see what he W. doing II being
dark outside the buil1g r. p,or,t i,
the direction of the pofS,zbere tts, Ia-
waiian Electric eonnectf, wae d,s-
tance of thirty or forty IL, ! sr.air
electric light on the pole t,,,r,,3,s,
showing owens apparently ,strida =.
seated on the wooden crosA,v ,,,;tb
arms and hands slightly h3s,r ,t,.s,
his body, resting on wires. aA<ha,os.
he might be at work. Lota ealiy tno
or three times, but getting no rass ss.sa
he rushed back into the buildingS.-s
\ told those there what he had seen "a
feared. Frank Richardson, Chief Elt
trician Gill, Clifford Thompson an
several of the Kamebameha boys a
once hastened out. Richardson whe
he saw the situation. went at once {
a telephone and directed the Hawalia
$ Electric to cut off the current frou
n that circuit. which was done tn
!, body was then lowered by means of
rope and taken into the building, am
J the coroner was notified Meanwhile
t DR.. c. B. Cooper had been summons
= and arrived quickly. Life, however
q was extinct Death had probably heel
instantaneous The only outward sigI
of violence was a burned spot in tn
? palm of the right hand at the base o
{ the thumb, and a mark across the
left forearm
The body vas laid on the aoor, th'
arms composed over the breast, and Z
sheet was thrown oVer ii. When Dep.
ufy Sheriff Jarrett arrived he sum
moned jury. who viewed the body
and adjourned until o'clock tonight
when the inquest will be held. DR.
Mcdonald was notified and a post
4 morfem viii be held,
Guy Owens was about thirty-flvf
years of age and had lived in the is-
lands about ten years. His mother and
sister, who had also lived here for q
short time. were victims Of the Iro-
Quois Thaater disaster in Chicago. New
Years Day, 1904. Owens two OF three
years ago had a narrow escape in an
automobile accident. his automobile
going over the wall on the side Of
Liliha street, near King. and falling
eight or ten feet. The young man
originated and largely carried through
the securing Of the Standard Tele-
phone franchise. He incorporated the
Owens Electric Construction Company
and had long been identified with cleo
/ trieal construction in Honolulu.
In August, 1903. he married Miss
Jennie Murray. who survives him AT
the time OF his mothers DEATH Il was
said that her surviving chIldFen De-
A4aes Guy Ovens were Mrs. ]. E. KIN
/ = e ngeIes. Miss Iv 49,
[1 = EaE QISass1 4 i a &