Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1922-04-03
VERDICT GIVEN
INCASE OF BOY
ELECTROCUTED
Walter Thompson Climbed
Pole to Get Kite and
Win 9 Cents Reward
NINE PERSONS TESTIFY
Companions of Boy Attend Funeral
Services Held This Afternoon at His
Late Home.

After hearing the testimony Of nine
witnesses a coroner'S jury summoned
bv Dr.. II. NJ. Jones which met Satur-
day at Demaine'S mOrtuary chapel
10 probe the death of Walter Thomp-
son. III years old, VINO was eiectrocu-
ted Saturday morning of pole on
Gibbon street lust east of Lee street
gave verdict as follows: THAT wal
ter Thompson came 20 hiS death at
about 8:45 a. m., April /, 1922 by be-
inc eleetrocuted on u pole near the
corner of Gibbon and Lee streets oy
coming i'm contact with live wire con-
vrying 13.200 VOLTS running down
the Alexandria Lighting Comp2ny'S
mower house from Alexandra to
Camp Humphreys" The jury was
composed of the following: Thomas
Chauncey. foreman; F. w. Latham, ).
F. POss, William Baader. {. W. Det-
Tor, John T. DeNaughan.
The boy paid his life in order to
win a reward of rine cents offered
fo,. the recovery Of kite belonging
10 Lewis Pettey, II years old. ac-
cordng to the testimony OF Fet.eN'
The kite had got caught in the wires
Petty anxious TO recover his KITE
went 10 his home, nearby; procured
ladder and made futile effort to
climb the pOle. Unsuccessful in his et
fort ne offered q reward OF nine cents.
Little realizing the danger that Turk
ed at the top of the pole young Ihomp-
SON unhesitatingly started out ON the
Derilous trip through his careful et-
forts succeeded in eluding contact
with the first wires on the cross arm
of the polt which contained 2,2OO volts.
His little companions were hOrriiied
as lac reached over to get the coveted
kite when thew saw squirt OF
flame and heard a cracking sound
from the high voltage wire. The oody
fell limp between the cross arms and
appeared to double up.
Lewis Pettey, twelve years old, told
the Jury that ne and Walter Suthard
were engaged in flying kite when
the kite got tangled in the wires.
Petty said that he went to his home
nearby and obtained the ladder which
he declared reached half way up the
pole. Unable to climb the pole he
said that he offered a reward of une
cents 10 any boy who would get 1t
for him and Thompson accepted and
started on the trip with the tragic
ending.
According to the testimony of VIII
liam Pevrill, a companion of Thomp--
son. Pettey offered the nine cents and
Thompson started up the pole. HIS
testimony was practically the same
as Pettey'S.
Melvin Evans also q companion OF
Thompson testified that he witnessed
the accident and he told of trip made
10 the plant of the Alexandria County
Lighting Company and of one of the
employees being told To cut the cur
rent from this pole.
The testimony of Lawrence Ent-
wisle, a by, was substantially the
same rs that of the other boys prev
iouSly testified.
Marshall Shuman, an inspector en-
ploved bv the Alexandria County
Lighting Company, told of the work
incident TO lowering the body OF
THOMPSON from the forty foot pole.
The wire he said containing the l3,-
POO volts is a government wire which
supplies current TO Camp Humphreys
George Randall and Herbert Wright,
colored linemcn employed by the light
ing Company told of the part they
took in lowering the body from the
pole.
According to the testimony Of
Policeman Haywood Durrer he and
Fire Chief +. J. McDermott went to
the scene at $40 o'clock Saturday
morning and at 9 a. m. he went to
the plant Of the lighting company and
directed an employee to cut the cur
rem toff the Camp Humphreys wire
F. 4. Feldkeller, superintendent OF
the Alexandria County Lighting Com
panv told of arriving at the pole
where the boy lost his life after the
body had been taken down and of an
investigation he conducted. The hrSt
information the company received OF
the accident he said was $3.50 O'Clock
Saturday morning on the telephone
which was followed by q second mes
sage and the foreman at the plant he
said was Immediately notified and
that the plant was notified at so a.
M. BY Arthur Skillman TO cut off the
Camp Humphreys wire.
According TO Mr. Feldkeler the
wire contained a total of l3,200 volts
and is not insulated because Of its
high voltage he said it could not be
done. In FIVE minutes after the COM
nany was notified of the correct wire
he said the current was cut Oft
The funeral of THOMPSON took place
this afternoon at o'clock from the
residence of his pareptS. Mr., and
Mrs. Webster l.. Thompson, PIT Glib