Arizona republican. [volume] (Phoenix, Ariz.) 1890-1930, 1911-07-23
FACTS OF THE TRAGEDY
They May Never Be Known
Exactly as Sutton Was
Alone. First Seen to Be
In Trouble by Men on
Washington Street.

Harry Sutton, Il timer in the en-
plov of George Hageman. was killed
while repairing the roof Of the city nall
yesterday a little before noon, by con-
tact with the wire that brings the main
current of electricity into the build
Ing, and which carries a voltage of 22OO.
Sutton was alone when the Incident
occurred. As there was no witness
numerous theories are advanced as to
how it might have happened. it being
only certain that death was caused by
eIcctrocution. 1t may have been an
accidental slipping of the foot that
threw him against the wire, or he may
have carelessly or thoughtlosslv reach
cd his hand out and touched the wire
as there were four wires within reach
of where the body was found and just
above it.
There is also doubt as to when the
accident occurred, but il was sometime
between II and 1880 o'clock [. m, as
near as can be figured out. The unfor-
tunate man was seen by some one on
Washington street, to throw up his
hands, stagger and fall, and suspecting
trouble of some kind Marshal Moore
was notified at once. The marshal
went To the roof as quickly as posi-
BILE, followed by a number of others,
and a little later by such a crowd ii
became necessary to close the trap
door and keep the people back.
The roof of the building is Of man
sard form. with sloping sides from the
central deck down to a gutter. from
which the nearly flat cornice projects
over the walls. Sutton's body lay in
the gutter. his feet extending over the
cornice and the marvel is that he did
not fan To the ground. As quickly as
possible DR. Sargent the city physician,
was summoned and the body wJs raised
to the main roof. Here those who had
first arrived were engaged in an er-
fort to restore Sutton by artificial res
piration. when DR.. Sargent came, DIR
Plath being sent for soon after.
The efforts at artificial respiration
were continued and oxygen was sent
for and used as soon az possible. but
it was all to no purpose. The man
was undoubtedly dead before anybody
hour had passed after the shock was
received. It was some minutes after
I1:3O when DR. Sargent was summoned,
an hour established by the fact that
DR. PIath reached his office at 1880
and DR. Sargent, who occupies the ad-
joining suite, was summoned little
later. DR.. Sargent says that If some
one had been present at the time and
artificial respiration had been attempt
ed at once Sutton's life might have
been saved. but that is might have
been," that has nothing to do with the
case now. 1t was undertaken as soon
as possible and in the face Of vain
hope the efforts were kept up for an
hour and half.
The fingers of Sutton's right hand on
the palm side were burned to the bone,
showing that it was there he had re-
ceived the shock and the thumb of the
left hand was also burned There were
also marks on the head and breast
but il is believed these were most likely
caused by his fan to the roof.
The four wires approach the build
ing on the front side from Washing
little to the east of the center. The
wires were three or four feet above the
body when found Midway between
the center and the west end of the
building two wires that run parallel
with it had been tied together by SUIT
ton with n piece of tin. as though 1t
had been his purpose to lift one of
them out of the way of his work. This
apparently had nothing TO do with the
fatal event for after that he had gone a
quarter the length of the building TO
the place he was killed.
The wires are insulated. though in
pJaces the insulation is no doubt defec-
tive. on the fatal wire the insulation
burned away and the melted matter
was found i'm the groove burned across
Sutton's fingers.
Coroner c. w. JOhnstoRe was noti-
fled and summoned a jury which visited
the roof of the city hall and made a
careful note of all conditions. The in
quest was then adjourned until o.
clock Monday afternoon.
Harry sutton had lived in Phoenix
about year. his hOme being at 614
| North Fourth street. He is survived
| bv his wife and three children. He
was forty years old and was well liked
| bv his fellows. The case is particularly
pitifuI i'm that his family is left in bad
circumstances financially. Each of the
employees of Mr.. HaSeman has donated