Evening journal., 1913-05-10
TAKE ITO
VOLTS TO PROVE
1T HARMLESS
Despite Demonstration COrOn-
er'S Jury Declares Ban
croft Worker Was
EIeCtrOCuted
ENGINEERS SAY VOLTAGE
ABOVE $50 IS DANGEROUS

Electricity was handled without
gloves at the inquest by Coroner
Spring last night in the case Of Will
liam Stewart. a young man, who died
suddenl. at the Kentmere plant of
the Joseph Bancroft and Sons Com
pany.
In an effort to show that the cleo
tricity received by Stewart was not
sufficient to kill, John Bancroft.
member of the firm, and Alfred w.
Burke, another witness. took 10 volts
the amount Stewart is supposed to
have taken and neithed was effected
beyond twitching Of the muscles OF
the face
To prove that Stewart did not re-
ceye a death dealing quantity Of cleo
tricity, the electric globe and extern
sion wire Stewart was holding when
he met death, was procured ond at
tached to an electric light socket in
the room and the two witnesses then
took the full force of the shocL This
demonstration and other evidence
produced by the company, represented
by j. Harvey Whiteman that electri-
city does not become dangerous until
after IL passes the 55C voltage mark,
and that it is an every day occI renee
for testers about electrical works TO
receive as much as $50 volts. the jury
failed to exonerate the company. The
Jury found that Stewart came to his
death as result of coming into con
tact with an electric current
Henry c. Globes. steamfitter in the
employ of the Bancroft Company,
testified that he had witnessed Stew
arts death. He said Stewart had the
metal part Of the fixture held be-
tween the thumb and first two fingers
of the right hand while the rest of
his hand was on the wooden grip.
James Wilson and James F. Step
toe. other employees who saw the body
when it was carried out, corroborated
Globes as to the details.
Andrew c. Patterson. the company's S
electrician testified that the cord and
light were in good condition when
he examined them He tested the
current and found the wires we're
carrying 10 volts to the lamp Stew
art was holding
He said he had received 10 volts
without harm. He did not know OF
case where such a small voltage
had killed anyone.
Mr.. Burke, formerly of Pittsburgh,
but now of this city, who is a con-
sulting electrical engineer, and an
expert on electricity and electrical
machinery and appliances, testified
that he had witnessed an execution
by electricity and gave detailed
technical explanations as TO the volt
age used He said 10 volts would
not kill q man, and he himself had
received 1.10O volts, which shock
knocked him across the room but did
nim no serious injury. He explained ID
that men who work in electrical
plants frequently receive $50 volts
with no ~ effects He told the jury
that electricity is not considered
dangerous until Il gets above 55l
volts He said il is an every day
occurrence to get $50 volts, and any
one can take it through the fingers
DR.. II. w. Briggs, the coroner's
physician. who performed the au-
topsy. said Stewards death was due
10 electrical shock Dr. John Palmer
who was present at the autopsy also
concluded death was due to electri-
al shock
The Jury that sat in the case in
cluded j. X p Morris, foreman
Charles G. Guyer. secretary; John I
Spring. Jr.. Maris Wingate, j. Daw-
son Arts.
Another important case considered
bv the same Jury was that of Viii
liam NJ. Brown, the boy who was
ground to death in a sand mixing
machine in the plant of the Male
able Iron Company. on May l. Miss
Blanche Mete, OF No. $50 Kinkwoot
street forelady in the plant, was
the only eyewitness to the accident
She sad the boy was working at th'
sand mixer and was shaking the sane
through a sieve into the mixer whel
he dropped the sieve. He reached
down for IL. lost his malance anC
tumbled into the machine. This wal
practically the only evidence beariu'
directly on the boys death.
The jury returned a verdict to tn
effect that Brown came to his dealt
from falling into the sand mixer a
the Malleable plant, but did not spe
tlly whether IL was dNNiuchloi
Another inquest was in the case o
the man, supposed to be Peter Helms
child, whose dead body was foun'
floating i'm the Delaware river at tn
mouth Of the Christiana river Tn
verdict was to the effect that dealt
resulted from causes unknown to tn
jury
Another case disposed of was tn
death of Melvin Oakes the little bo
whose home was at No. S2S East Sey
enteenth street, who was burned {
death on April a. when his clothin
caught fire while he was playin
about a fire in an open lot The ver
dict was that death resulted fror
burns accidentally received,
GERMAN POET HAS ANNIvERSAR'
Ludwig Melchoir, the German poe
of this city. who is also caretaker 9