The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1914-05-25
CORONER'S INQUEST HELD
PROBE CAUSE OF DEATH
JURY WAS SUMMONED THIS MORNING BY COUN-
TY ATTORNEY NISBET AND CORONER
FIX THE RESPONSIBILITY
Testimony Heard and Jury Deliberating Evidence
Porter Was Hero in Cutting Wire
With Peavy

With
At O'clock this evening the cor
Oner's jury empaneled to hear evidence
relative to the accidental death of NeG
EasterbroOk, and the injury of Chas
COmst0ck, Harry Marquitz and Sam
Porter which occurred Saturday after
noon on Sixth street when a ground
wire attached to 60-fOot pole that
was being lowered into hole and
came in contact with the 22,OOO-yOlt
line Of the lewiston Charleston high
tension wire entering the city, was de-
liberating in an effort to determine ii
the accident resulted from criminal
negligence.
Was Slow Work.
The taking of testimony today was
slow owing to the fact that the testi-
mony was being transcribed by a
stenographer. Aside from the wit
nesses testifying this morning, evil
dence from eye-witnesses were secur-
ed. Those testifying this afternoon
were Ed Harris, lineman; George
Morrow, lineman; c. c. Mueller, line
man. Carl l.. Olson, ground man; r.
j. Mudgett, business man of Mos
COW; DR.. Clarke, who attended Easter
brook
May Await Porter.
1t is probable the jury may not
return verdict until late this eve
ming. 1t may adjourn it's deliberations
until tomorrow awaiting the return
from Spokane of Sam Porter, the line
man, who was injured in attempting to
free the stricken men, who had gone to
Spokane yesterday.
Decided Last Night.
The decision to call coroner's in
quest, it was learned today, came
last night late after preparations had
been practically completed to ship the
body of Ned Easterbrook to his former
home at Spangle for interrment. There |
was hurried conference between |
County Attorney ]. E. Nisbet and Cor
oner McCarter and it was announced |
that jury would be empaneled this
and testimony taken to de-
termine whether or not the accident
Saturday afternoon was due to Grim
inal negligence.
Summoned a Jury.
The jury was summoned this morn
ng and was composed Of ]. r. Collins,
foreman; Corliss McElroy, Il. A.
scheyer, r. j. Hutchison, T. w.
Johnson, T. Bowers, G. w. Lowery, H.
w. Cornelison, c. l.. Williamson.
BIinn Was Eye Witness.
The inquest was opened at the
steltz undertaking parlors and wit
lesses summoned. l.. l.. Blinn, teller
It the First National bank, was the
irst witness. He had been an eye
witness to the accident and had told
# having been passing along Sixth
treet during the period when the huge
lOWeI llHC pOl0 was pClHS VI lOPPOu
nto place. He told the details of the
ccident in which the crew at work re- !
eived a shock and of the subsequent I
etails IN connection with the picking
p of the injured men. His story was
ubstantially a detail of the facts lead
1g up to the time of the arrival of
hysicians.
Foreman Told the Story.
G. H. Lavell, foreman in charge of
le work, took the stand this morning
nd this afternoon and related details
/ connection with the accident. He F
lated, among other things, that had o
ny rope been attached to the swing o
lg pole that it might have prevented b
lie pole coming in contact with the Il
Ugh tension power wire. Mr.. Lavell B
slated that so soon as the accident
,curred that he Immediately rushed to if
lie office of the Washington Water d
over company to telephone to Lewis 7
N to have the power shut off. fl
Pulm0ter Was of No Use. in
Though physicians had pronounced II
sterbrook dead Saturday night, local
nployees of the Washington Water ,
over company, had telephoned to
)okane to have the company pull
oter sent here and after Easterbrooks
'dy had been taken to the Steltz ~
orgue a force of men kept at work -
the body forcing artificial respira- ~
IN and keeping the body warm until -
e arrival of the pulmoter which -
ached here at / o'clock Sunday ~
1rning. Two cans of oxygen were -
ed and for a period it was thought
at the man was responding to -.
,atment however, after working all =. :,
ght the task was abandoned and all -
pc given up of reviving the man.
= . = -- po
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