The Ogden standard. [volume] (Ogden City, Utah) 1902-1910, 1910-07-30

look over a transcript OF the testi.
mony before rendering a verdict.
which may require a number OF days
10 prepare. The Investigation has
been thorough in every detail and "
Is anticipated that the jury Will have
no particular difficulty In arriving at
just verdict.
Angus Follman, an eye witness to
the tragedy, told the story OF the cleo
trocution OF George Croft A mark
ed stiffness pervaded the court room
as he related the story He stated
that he was employed by the Rocky
Mountain Bell Telephone company at
the time of the accident and that he
was working with Mr. Croft on that
1ateful Saturday afternoon
Mr.. Croft and | had been working
on the pole where he lost his life from
Thursday until the minute he was
killed, said young Foll1map George
was on the pole up TO the cross arm,
and ! was standing on the ground
had just thrown the line rope which
was attached to tools that were to he
used in the work on the pole. He
reached over the electric light wire TO
be used In the work on the pole He
reached over the electric light wire To
get hold OF the rope and suddenly
cried out, oh, my Cod and fell limp
upon the wires and the cross arm
dead. | saw the flash of the wire as
1t come in contact with his arm. un-
derneath the shoulder like, and heard
the sound of the electric current. Aft
er the shock he lay with his face part
" IN I.. nr,r 81.
bar. | knew he was dead and the doc
tor said he was dead as soon as he
looked at him
Most of the other witnesses gave
testimony regarding the relative posi-
tlons of the electric light and tele-
phone wires on the pole the object OF
the attorneys being, principally, to
show who was responsible for the
physical conditions that caused the
death OF the deceased. he testimony
being that The electric wire had been
carried down the pole 10 a point where
II could be strung across The street
to the Weber Academy building and
not come in contact with the tele-
phone wires in the middle of the
street Superintendent GroesbeCk OF
the light company stated that il was
absolutely necessary to do this AT the
time the wiring was done. and that
the wire from that low point on the
pole which was so dangerously near
the telephone wires, was intended to
lie only temporary adjustment, pend
ing the removal Of the telephone wires
from the street The telephone COM
pany, he said, was working on the re.
moval Of its wires from the center of
the streets and he expected TO be no.
tified as soon rs it was completed at
this point, so nat he could place the
light wires back upon upper cross arm
where they belonged
A coroner'S jury under the direc-
tion OF Judge Murphy. assisted by
County Attorney Jensen and a num-
Der OF attorneys representing differ
ent parties interested Yesterday called
witnesses TO testify regarding the eX-
act cause of the death of George A.
Croft. who was accidentally electro.
cuted Saturday. July 90. on Twenty
fourth street near Jefferson avenue.
by coming in contact with a live wire
OF the Utah Light & Railway COM
Dany
The members Of the jury are w. l.
BuSWell, Hyrum A. Shupe and A. II.
Rogers. The state is represented by
County Attorney Dayid Jensen. VINO is
conducting the examination. II r.
Macmillan of Salt Lake represents
the Bell Telephone company: Charles
Hollingsworth is looking after the in.
terests Of the Utah Light G. Railway
company, and the firm OF Halverson
& Pratt is assisting in the investiga.
tion in behalf OF the widow. Mrs.
Croft
The object OF the investigation Is
to place the responsibility for the ac-
cident, it being contended by some
that both the Utah Light & Railway
company and Bell Telephone company
were responsible. and by others that
the blame lies with the light company
and still others that the Bell Tele-
phone company should not have per
| mitted Mr.. Croft to work on the line
at the place where the accident oc-
Cured