The Ordway new era., 1913-06-27
Ole Johnson Electrocuted By
Contact With High Power
Transmission Wires
Monday Morning
DEATH INSTANTANEOUS
Accident at Intersection of the
Western Union and A. v.
r., L. & P. Co. Wires

Ole johnson. an employe of the
Western Union Telegraph company.
Was electrocuted about :l5 Monday
morning Just outside the corporate
limits of ordway by coming in cou;
tact with "a live wire on the Arkansas
Valley Railyay, Light and Power com.
pany's transmission line. 1t is esti
mated that about IS, 900 volts of cleo
tricity went through bis body and
death was instantaneous.
johnson, who left Pueblo Sunday
morning to do some work along the
line for his company. was taking
measurements for clearance where the
high power tIansm ission wires Cross
over those Of the Western Union
along the Missouri Pacific right Of
way. and coming in contact with them
was INSTANTLY hurled into eternity.
Guy Ellis Of the Ordway Auto com
pany was driving past the spot at the
time and saw him fall. 1t il said
that an electrical display accompanied
Johnsop's contact with the live wires
and this lead Mr.. Ellis to the prompt
belief that he had been electrocuted,
aud be went to him as quickly as pos
sible. johnson fell from the pole,
which IL about forty feet high. and hit
the ground on his back. So far as is
known be did not move sfter he fell.
Coroner Griffin was notified after
hurried examination by Mr.. Ellis aud
the body was removed to the parlors
Of the Gtiffin Undertaking Co., where
q more liesurely examination showed
that johnson had taken hold Of the live
wire with both hands, the current
burning entirely through thes fieshy
part Of both hands on the lower side,
and that the tight arm was broken be-
low the elbow.
johnson was . man of long expert
ence as lipeman and his death by
coming in contact with q live wire 10
bard to account for, ~ it 10 the natural
belief that man with his experience
would use care. The only way in
which the accident can be accounted
for 10 the fact that the power company
had just completed st,ingiuR the
transmission wires few days ago and
turned the current into them, aud it
10 supposed that Johnson did not know
they we're charged.
Ole JVhnson was q familiar oharac.
ter about Ordway, and in fact all
along the line OF the Missouri Pacific
where the Western Union. operates. He
had been employed by his company on
this line for twenty y-six years. aud dur
ing that time had made many friends
who we're shocked to hear of his sud-
den demise. He leaves 4 Wife and
one sou of about ten years in Leota,
Kan., to mourn him.
A coronrr's jury was EN- paneled aud
an inqusst beld over the body at 8 80
Monday afternoon. The jury was
composed Of VIM. Edgar, A. NJ. Bren.
aman. e. II. Hosler, G. NJ. Jackson,
Jas. O'Conneil and Fred Cook. and
the following is the official verdict
rendered.:
"We find that the said Ole Johnson
met bis death by means Of an electric
current passing over witee of the Ar
kansas Valley Railway. Light and
Power company at the frst pole south
Of the Missouri Pacific right of way
at the crossing known as the Burke
crossing, st about O'Clock a. M. /,
June 23, 1913. No blame 10 attached
to the A v. r., L. and P. Co."
The body was shipped to Leota,
Kan, Tuesday afternoon, On advice
from the widow, where the funeral and
burial will be held.
An interview with Coroner Griffin
after the above was written and in
type reveals . plausible cause for the
death of Ole johnson, and the fact
that while death Was not instantan-
eous, the shock was SO great that he
was unconscious until all the breath
left his body.
The gist Of the interview with Cor
oser Griffin follows:
II was called and taken to tho !