The Detroit times., 1910-08-05
COMPANY
BLAMED BY JURY
Held Responsible for Electrocution Of
Mrs. Dora Smith--City Inspection
of Wires Recommended.

Dora Smith came TO her death
through coming In contact with IN
unused iron wire crossed with and
charged by the Edison illuminate
Ing company's wire, through the
neglect Of the Edison Illuminating
company In not removing the de-
fectIve wire when asked to do 90.
We recommend that the city coun-
ell establish an inspection depart
ment for all overhead wires, this
department to be manned by
qualified electricians, who shall
grant permits for the construction
Of all new work and the recon-
structlon Of old lines. We further
recommend that alI electric wires
be separated by at least elk feet
from other wires on the same pole.
The above verdict was rendered ear.
ly Friday afternoon by a Jury In Cor.
oner Burgess court which inquired
into the death OF Mrs. Dora Smith,
electrocuted near her home. No. SIC
Willis-ave. west, July 20, when she
went to the rescue of her 14-year-old
son, Henry. who grasped loose live
wire while playing In the street.
Mrs. Elizabeth Robinson, living In
the upper part Of the house at No.
$40 Willis-ave. west, was the first wit
ness called. Friday morning. She told
of seeing Mrs. Smith running to the
rescue OF her boy, and also related
that she saw lights in the tree where
the loose wire was hanging some
nights before the accident. She
thought the lights were made by IRE
dies.
Attorney Goodson, acting for the
Smith family. asked particularly about
the lights seen In the tree, giving the
impression that he will contend that
the illumination was caused by the
loose wire charged With electricity.
Leo Curtis, 10 years old. son OF
Lieut.. Curtis, who testified on Thurs
day, said he and Henry were sitting
on the witness steps shortly before
the tragedy.
Henry noticed the loose wire
hanging from the trees and asked me
what II was" said Leo. II told him
that ii was dead wire. said that
because | remembered the Edison
linemen had told my father that four
years ago, when 1t first began to sag.
| got our rake to pull the wire down,
but Henry grabbed 1t from me just az
we reached II. He got the wire down
and then grabbed It with his hand
He fsll| ~ sncu., Y ~ Al .lnstan'
was smoking from the electricity.
ran into the house to get some water
and told my mother what had hap.
pened. My mother then came out and
screamed for help. Pretty soon car
penter came across from No. 304 VIII
lis-ave., and tried to break the wire
with the rake. Another man also
tried to break It with a spike sticking
in a piece of board"
Leo also said that he had noticed
the lights In the tree on several oc-
casions.
Leo's mother corroborated his testi-
mony In regard to the part she played
In the accident. She also declared
that she remembered her husband
warning the Edison linemen about the
dangerous wire four years ago, and
that the linemen simply sneered and
in reply said the wire would harm
nobody. She also said that she re-
membered her husband telling her
about a year ago, that he went to a
commission house and notified the
Edison company about the loose wire.
The fire fly" episode was also seen
by her. She chided herself on the
witness stand for not knowing the
illumination wasn't made by fire hies,
because she was brought up In the
country and knew what kind of light
fire fly made"
Patrolman Joseph Uthes, whose
beat used to take him In the neigh
borhood of the fatality, said that last
February he noticed q loose wire
twisted around tree little west OF
Brooklyn-ave., of Willis-ave., and that
he notified Capt. Girardin, at police
headquarters, to have the fire depart
ment attend to 1t. A few days later
he noticed IT had been removed.
Immediately after the killing OF
Mrs. Smith the officer said he saw the
coil of wire which caused her death
taken away I'm wagon belonging to
the Edison company.
Mrs. Barton, No. TIA Brooklyn-ave..
told of seeing the wire spoken OF by
Patrolman Uthes and said she had
found II dangling I'm the air on one oc-
casion and had twisted 1t around a
tree herself, fearing some horse or a
child might come In contact with IT..
She had also seen the fire flies"
Mrs. Gilmore, No. 314 Willis-ave.
west, said she saw the wire when II
was In a sagging condition; while
Mrs. Nellie O'Deil, No. 307 Willis-ave.
west. testified in regard to seeing Mrs.
Smith killed.
Henry Smith, husband of the dead
woman, said he had talked with
neighbor named Bernstein, who Is en-
ployed by the Edison company about
the wire, and that the latter had re-
marked that It would do no harm. He
and Mr.. Bernstein had also seen the
In the tree, he said.
Attorney James ". Oxtoby, repre-
senting the Edison Co., produced but
one witness, Frank Carroll, lineman
for the company. Carroll said that he
had gone out to the scene OF the
death OF Mrs. Smith about a year
ago and removed a dangerous wire
in response to a report OF It's pres
ence.
Mr.. Oxtoby, in commenting on the
case during q recess In the morning,
said that he believed the pupils Ia the
schools ought TO be taught something
about electricity, SO that they would
know how to avoid dangerous wires.
Horace A. Taylor Taken by Death.