Tonopah daily bonanza. [volume] (Tonopah, Nev.) 1906-1929, 1911-03-01
Many Witnesses Were Examined Dur
ing the Day Without Bringing Forth
Anything of Startling Nature.

| S"OOA Shall' ne ulu not nOClIy Jnt
men as he expected to get back be
fore the shift reported on.
Fitzgerald testified that Bradshav
ordered men to pour water dowr
che winze in which the fire wa.
located. The order was later coun
fernandez
Just what time the helmets from
Goldfield arrived Fitzgerald coult
not say. He stated that he hat
no conception of time during the
entire day.
While he has a slight recollection
of his actions during the day, his
mind is considerably clouded as tc
the sequence of events He learned
however, during the morning hours
that at least five men-Burke ana
his followers-were still entombed
in the mine.
On cross-examination by Mine In.
spector Ryan it developed that the
main air valve on the 11OO-foo,
level, usually left open, was found
closed by Fitzgerald the day follow
ing the tragedy.
Mr.. Ryan, in his examination, en-
deavored to fix the responsibility
for notifying the state mine irspec-
tors office at Carson City. The law
requires that the state mining in
spector be notified Immediately i'll
case of accident, which Mr.. Ryan
states was not done in this instance
The district attorney followed Mr.
Ryan with the witness. Court took
recess at noon with Mr.. Titzger-
aid on the witness stand and with
District Attorney Sanders making
examination.
The afternoon session of today
opened with Mr., Fitzgerald still Oil
the stand undergoing gruelling
ordeal at the hands of District At
torney Sanders. George Dondero
testified Mr.. Fitzgerald, is the only
one of the dead men who was on
the level in which he met his death
at my request.
Mr.. Fitzgerald stated that he was
not excited and saw no men in the
mine excited until he reached the
110O-foot level
Mr.. Fitzgerald corroborated the
testimony of Shiftboss Grant to the
effect that Burke, the dead shift
boss, was the senior officer in his
absence.
Do you know of any means by
which you or the management could
have saved these lives?" was asked
by Attorney Sanders.
mot after I was knocked OUT
replied the witness.
The witness throughout amtched
wits with the district attorney, and
cleverly parried every thrust that
was made.
A larger crowd than at any of
the sessions so far has been pres
ent throughout the afternoon. All
the seats were filled and almost
every available inch of standing
room was taken, besides many per-
sons holding their positions in the
outer hall.
From the district attorney the
witness was passed to State Mine
Inspector Ryan, and later to At
torney A. Grant Miller of Reno,
for further questioning. Mr.. Miller
examined the witness at consider
able length relative to air cur
rents, direction in which smoke and
gas might be carried, the effect of
travel on the intensity of the hot
air and gas, etc.
The valve on the air line on the
11OO-foot level, according to the
testimony given by Mr.. Fitzgerald
on cross-examination by State Mine
Inspector Ryan, was shut off on
the morning following the fire, which
was a most unusual fact, as the
same was never supposed TO be
closed.
The coroner's jury after this aft
ernoon's session, will adjourn un-
til $3.50 tomorrow morning, when
other officials and employees of the
mining company will be called to
the stand.