Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1915-10-20

Vannatta at the time OF the accident,
and the nature of the construction of
the line at this point. witnesses
agreed that Vannatta was standing
at a point over six feet from an ar
row wire and that MARKS on the iron
work of the bridge indicated that he
was standing up when the accident
occurred. Diagrams and photographs
of the bridge and wiring were intro
duced as testimony Mr.. Bennett
proved very interesting witness. He
recited his experience in the electrical
field and illustrated some of the phe-
nomena attending electric arcs. Mr..
Bennett gave the different distances
various voltages would jump through
the air as follows: 10000 volts 5-S
inches between needle points; $4,000
volts, 1910 inches; $4,000 volts, 2
inches. The arcing distance between
spheres is for $4,000 volts, SO inches,
and for $4,000 volts, .76 inches. In
his opinion there would be no danger
beyond sparkling distance. The tes-
timony of the defense regarding the
practice of insulating high tension
wires was that it was customary not to
insulate except where passing under
bodies of water and that it would be
economically impossible to insulate
the lines in overhead construction.
]. w. Murphy of Platteville, made
the opening address to the jury and
begged that the jury consider that
Clifford Vannatta was within his
rights when he climbed to the top of
the bridge as was his wont when
boy. He stated that deceased was
unaware of the dangerous element in
the wires and that the company had
been negligent in constructing such
a line across a point where it would
be possible for any person to come
in contact with their lines. He asked
that the jury render damages in pro-
portion to the amount of help deceased
would have been to his mother had
he lived.
Irving L. Fish, counsel for the de-
tense, addressed the jury. He asked
that a verdict be rendered in favor
of the defendant on the grounds that
lire was constructed in proper man
ner and that the deceased had not eX-
ercised ordinary care in climbing to
the top of the structure and placing
himself in hazardous position. Mr..
Fish declared that the deceased had
gotten into a dangerous situation
through his own effort and that the
top of the structure was not in any
sense of the word a thoroughfare or
a place where any one would be like
ly to go under any ordinary circum-
stances. Mr.. Kopp, plaintiffs attorney
insisted that the company was res
pOnSible for the dangerous situation
and that it had been negligent in its
duty in not placing the wires so that
they were of proper clearance at this
point. He urged that verdict be rem
dered in the PLAINTIFFS favor. The
jury, after a short session rendered a
verdict in favor of the plaintiff and
rendered damages amounting to $4,000
The questions submitted by the court
to the jury in substance were:
1. Was the deceased killed by the
electric current. The court answered
this question in the affirmative.
2. Was the company negligent in
constructing the lines at this point
in the manner described. The answer
was that they were.
8. Was the manager of the company
chargeable for not noticing the posi-
bility of danger in erecting lines in
the manner described. The jury an
swered in the affirmative.
f. Did the deceased use lack of care
in going upon the bridge. The jury
answered in the negative.
5. This question involved the
amount of compensation.
The case of the State of Wisconsin
VS. Thomas Vincent, charge of larceny
was called Monday at 1:30. The de-
PENDANTS attorney read physicians
report from DIR. j. H. Fowler, stating
that in his opinion the defendant was
in such a physical condition that he
could not appear in court. The court
continued the case until the Febru-
airy term.
State of Wisconsin VS. Albert Creasey
of Boscobel, was next called. Creasey
was represented by his attorney, j.
j. Blaine of Boscobel. The defendant
pleaded guilty to the charge of hav-
ing had improper relations with Beu-
/ lah Goblin, a young woman who had
been living in his home for the past
several years. The defendants at
torney in his plea before the court
asked that the family be taken into
consideration and the sentence be
made as light as the demands of JUS
tice would serve. The court imposed
$500 and costs, the defendant to remain
confined in the county Jail until same
had been paid.
The case of Ed Sabinson of Boscobel
was next on the docket. Sabinsor
pleaded guilty to the charge of adult
cry, Mrs. Setta Glassbrenner of BOs-
cobel, being the correspondent in the
case. The court sentenced Sabinson
to two years in the penitentiary al
Waupun, but ordered that execution
he SuSpended during good behavior