Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1911-12-28
BOTH DEPARTMENT FOREMEN
Each Comes to His Death by Grasp
ing Heavily Charged Cable.
CIRCUMSTANCES ARE PUzZLING
Kelley Unknowingly Walks Into
Death Trap that Ends Duda's Life.
VICTIMS ARE OLD employees
KELLEY Prominent ON Affairs OF
south Omaha, and Was Candidate
for Commissioner nt the Eiec-
tIon Held in November.

Thomas j. Kelley and Anton Duda,
both. foromen long In the employ OF the
Cudahy Packing company, met death by
electrocution yesterday afternoon at
o'clock The fatal voltage was conducted
through the steel cable by which the ele-
vator In the glue house OF the packing
plant Is hoisted and lowered.
While puzzllng circumstances surround
the death of the two men, there does
not seem to be any doubt but that rate
dealt It's blow through the violent agency
Of electricity. The absence of burns us
ually noted IN instances OF electrooutioh
lent doubt as TO the manner In which
Kelley and Duda lost their lives, and
doubt was strengthened when test was
mado and II was found that the cable
was not charged. Attending surgeons
however, fully believe that the men were
electrocuted. baslng their belief I'm the
peculiar discoloration OF the dead mems
faces.
Duda's Body Found In PIT.
! Duda. who was foreman OF tho car
pentry and wheeiwright department, was
| the first TO meet death The belief "
that he was attempting to lower the e'e-
vator from the second TO the first focr
where he was standing, and that in SO
doing the cable he was manipulating
came In contact with live wire. he
WINS found dead in the elevator pit which
o~tends down about a foot below the
first floor. by Kelley, who was foreman
OF the hog killing department. Together
with c. u. IAnville he lifted Duda's hte-
less body from the pit and carried II 10
an adjoining room.
After an exciting exchange OF WORDS
as TO what 90 do, LAnville rushed out IN
search OF a doctor. hoping that pude
could be revived. When he returned
J few moments later Kelley was standing
erect gripping the charged cable ana
stone dead. The belief is that Kelley
IN tho absence of Linvillo, went to the
elevator shaft to ascertain the cause on
the Incident; that while there unaWare .
OF the fact that the cable was charseu
with electricity. sraspee II In an attempt
: TO lower the elevator which was shen
Q midway between the first and second
l floors 70 prevent any mishap on the floor
Z above.
4 worIxmen Release Dead Man'
g Nv the time IAnville returned Joe
v -hernev. Ed. I.annon and Patrick NC
4 c,,uln had gathered at the scene and NOT
y until then did Il dawn upon them tnA'
e the cable was charged. They then moVeo
cautiously and with the aid OF LAnnon
= frock. a long garment worn by peeKlhS
= house employees, pulled Kelley from th'
$ cable. The bodies were taken 10 lSal
= kns undertaking establishment orS
i o. Reiley and Koenig arrived at the scen'
y shortly. but lift was extinct
The hands and feet OF the dead mel
were examined for burns, when wou''
n Indicate positively whether or not deati
Il was caused by eleotrocutioh out nom nom
II were found. Thomas Burns, an elec',
y clan In the employ of the oudahy fHeN
, ing company, made an examination spou
II the scene. He also tested the caple am
t. declared that there was no current f-.' 80
l. 80 ,hrough IL. Withall, none doubt IN
" theory Of electrooution' as All other .iiul :
d aattons noint toward that manner
. sasth General Manager Michael Murphy
ly vino came 10 South Omaha twenty-tN
n 90. ago with Kelley. and who wa
,e SsanIv affected by the fate OF his Ions
90 49, ,r,and. accepts the belief or a
II o,,srs who made an examination follow
re ing the fatal accident.
,e moth Men Well known.
H. Y.,,. u,ho was a years old. was we
te Lnown in south Omaha. having bee
nFnNlinenL
n Iitv. Al the election held In NoVemo'
ne was a candidate for county eomma
ne .ioner. but was defeated. lie came hel
b. about twenty-five years ago from ca
I'D cInnat. and was at the head OF we
be known family living at Ga North TweI
o. ,Iotb street. South Omaha. A daughte
at Miss Nellie Kelly, is a school teacher
10 south omaha, and son. Prof. fhom'
OF Kelly. is connected with st. Louis ed
catIonai institution. In ALL vile al
u five children survive
Duda was a Bohemian ana hao De'
ed in the employ of the Cudahy company Z
.s- twenty years. He was forty-nine yea
!, o,d ana resided at l4il Williams stre'
nd Omaha Besides his wife he is suiViv'
40 nv daughter, Mrs. L. E. pworak' II
a. North twenty y-sixth street, South Oman
ev and sons. Edward Duda and Walter Du'
on of Omaha.