The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1909-01-28
The Coroncr's Inquest.

iII1 AOIOllSI > 1llAuSSN.
Al 10 O'Clock Friday Coroner
Bower impaneled w. e. Lott, Nels
Jensen and j. F. Miller as a jury to
hear the evidence at the inquest, the
men being first taken to the scene
ing circumstances.
Several members of the company
Robinson was the last to leave the
theatre building, while DR.. Freyberg
stated that when he reached the scene
Of the accident Mr.. Robinson was
dead. Henry Tippley, the janitor, stat
ed that he discovered the body lying
in the alley, and supposing the per-
son to be drunk, hunted up a police
officer. but discovered that the man
was dead. 1t was 1875 o'clock
when he found the body. In looking
about for a possible cause, Tippley
said he took hold of the guy wire
and exclaimed, Here it is" The
shock of the electricity was so great
as to render him unconscious, and
it took three Or four of the men to
release him. When they first took
hold of Tippley, as was later brought
out in the evidence, the men we're
thrown across the alley to the build
ing.
Manager White of the electric COM
pan, said that he was called there
after the accident happened, and
stated that the primary wire was
loose and might have caused a con-
nection to produce a current. He
stated that the guy wire was raised
from the low position on the pole.
Carl Fowler, an electrician, stated
that it was possible for the guy wire
to have become electrified and went
into some detail on the question.
The evidence of John Slater, Mont
Davis, w. ]. Scriven and James
Kearney was also taken, and which
was more or less Of the same char
acter given by the other witnesses.
After listening to the evidence the
jury brought in the following verdict:
1--WE, the undersigned jurors, find
from the evidence that Frank q.
Robinson came to his death presum-
ably from a guy wire charged with
electricity"
1t is quite unaccountable that Mr..
Robinson should become the victim
of the accident while two others es-
capped any injury at all. During the
afternoon it was stated that Charles
Roth had his horse hitched to the
telephone pole and that while stand
ing Mr.. Roth had mold Of the wire,
but felt no shock. IN the evening
about s o'clock a son of Nels Jensen,
one of the members of the coroner's
jury, it is stated, was in the alley and
took hold of the guy wire but felt
no shock of electricity. In the early
part of the evening a fog settled
down over the city and creating
much moisture in the atmosphere.
which, it is believed, was the cause
, of the guy wire being charged with
the electric current.
The body of Mr.. Robinson was
taken to the Noble undertaking par
lors, and on examination revealed
that the back of the left hand was
discolored. The face was bruised
in several places, but the presumpt-
ion is that this came from his fall
ing on the ground and perhaps strik-
ing the stone slab lying close to the
telephone pole. Mr.. Tippley's hands
do not show any discoloration. He
was able to attend the coroner's in
quest this morning but was so weak
he had to be helped.
Manager Storey stated that the
ompany was scheduled to appear a.
Madison this evening, but they viii.
have to cut out the engagements foi
a day and the position of the de.
ceased man viii be hlled'shortiy.
The body of Franz G. Robinson
who was killed Accidentally Thursda,
night, was shipped by th3 Ameri
can Express Co. to Salt Lake City
Utah, where the parents of the young
maj lives. His personal effects were
shipped by freight by the manager
of the GAS Told in the Hills" com.
pany. Undertaken Noble prepared the
remains for shipment Saturday night