Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-08
'ONNER OF DEATH DEALING
WIRE NOT DETERMINED
sponsibility for Death of
Three Men.
DIED IN EASTER BLIzzARD
Verdict Says Merely Tint BcadIes,
Chenault and Monkey Were Killed
by Live Wire Displaced by Severe
Storm.

Responsibility for the death OF the
three men. two horses and mule
Killed by live wire near Twenty ninth
Street and Nine Mile Road during the
snowstorm OF Saturday was not fixed
by the coroner's jury. which held an
inquest In Coroner Taylor's office yes
terday. The verdict was TO the effect
that c. II. Bcadles. {. r. Chcnault and
c. T. Moxley had come to their deaths
from live wire displaced by the
storm.
Families OF the three men. rs we'll rs
each OF the companies whose wires are
strung from the poles In this section.
were represented by attorneys at the
tinuous wrangle over the testimony
offered by the various witnesses, Cor
oner Taylor said last night
Several OF the witnesses testified
that the various companies had been
notified OF the serious condition cx-
listing near the spot where the men
were later killed, and that they had
paid no attention to these early noti-
fcations. One witnesses testified that
the wire over which. he was talking
TO n representative Of one Of the COM
panies burned out even while he was
talking.
MRS GOTHAM SAYS
SIZE NOTIFIED COMPANIES
point over which the attorneys
fought for some time was the state
ment OF Mrs. Howard Cotman. Thirty
first Street and Nine Mile Road. rs to
the exact time at which she notified
the companies. She asserted that she
discovered several wires down AT $50
O'Clock. and that she 1T once notified
the various companies. She knew tho
current was not shut Oft until nearly
IL o'clock. when the electric lights in
her own house went out
w. j. Slaughter. motorman OF a
Inn nrt-
ant witness. He testified that n telc-
phone pole had fallen across his line.
and that he was forced TO limit his
trips between the car barns and stop
No. s. Slaughter testified that ne saw
MoNley leaving his yard as his car
passed the mans home Monkey, said
Slaughter. was in advance OF his team
and was endcavor!ng to move the wire
with broom stick. so as to allow his
team to pass. Slaughter continued his
trip down the line until he came to the
spot where Dave Donatrs horse had
been killed. When he stopped there
he was startled by screams from the
direction OF Monkeys home.
The motorlnan ran his car back to
that place and arrived in time to see
Moxley lying dead In the snow, and
just in time to see the wagon contain
ing Chenault and Beadles stop Floyd
Call. an undertaken for Blilcys under
taking establishment, took up tho
story AT TINS point with his testimony.
He saw Bceadls knocked down and
later saw Chenault go to his assistance
When the current struck Chenault. the
man was knocked distance OF ten
feet according TO Call
RUEDEN TOWNSEND RODE
WAGON WITH MOXLEY
II was brought out at the inquest
that the boy In the wagon with Monkey
at the time OF his death was Rueben
Townsend, his brother-in-law, seven
teen years old. Townsend went TO
pieces when put on the stand, but
testified that he was so frightened when
Monkey was struck by the wire that
he started TO run and did not stop
until he gained the house OF n negro
woman some distance away The team
wandered TO n nearby field.
Floyd Braxton, the negro driver of
Donatis team testified that his horse
stepped on live wire buried beneath
the snow. He, too, was badly fright
ened, and. deserving his team. took TO
his heels. BraXton said he thought the
entire road was covered with wires,
so he took TO the fields.
Coroner Taylor Will hold an inque I
into the death OF Houston Hincy. the
convict killed the same night at the
peniicntiary. at that institution Mt 10
o'clock this morning.