Wines, Allen Morgan 'Allie' died 1915

WINES

Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 5/7/2013 at 21:35:24

Postville Review, Fri., 4 June 1915. Taken from the Allamakee Journal.

BOY ELECTROCUTED AT WAUKON.

About 2:30 Sunday afternoon Allie Wines, 14 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Justin Wines, lost his life at the transformer station of the Light and Power CO. at the city's west limits.

Since the transformer station burned five weeks ago the apparatus is in the open, pending the construction of a fire proof house. A wire fence and "Danger" signs were up to protect the public.

The dead boy and Robert and Tommy Estepp were playing in the vicinity. Robert who is 14 years old, says that the Wines boy had a piece of wire about two feet long with which he said he was going to touch the wire inside the fence and get a shock. Estepp told him not to do it, that it would kill him. Wines said it wouldn't and reached through the fence and touched a live wire. The boy was instantly knocked down and the wire he held struck the Estepp boy's hand, burning it severely. The Wines boy said, "Robert take hold of my hand, I am dying." He then jumped up, ran across the road and dropped, dying in about ten minutes. Coroner Lewis was to hold an inquest Monday afternoon, but postponed it until Tuesday.- Allamakee Journal.

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Note: Woodmansee lists: Wines, Allen Morgan 10-28-1901 / 5-30-1915, buried in Oakland cemetery.

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Added by Joy Moore 1/10/2021:

Source: Cresco Plain Dealer June 11, 1915 P-FP C-1

Shock Fatal to Boy.
Allen Wines, the 13 year old son of Mr. and Mrs. Justin Wines, met an ac­cidental death Sunday afternoon by coming into contact with the powerful electric current which supplies Waukon from the plant at the power dam. He caused the fatality himself by securing a piece of wire and touching a feed wire at the transformer station at the west edge of town. The building con­taining the electrical apparatus burned down a few weeks ago and pending the the {sic} erection of a new structure two transformers for reducing the voltage coming into town were set up nearby at the side of the highway. Wire fence enclosed them and danger signals were prominently displayed on the fencing. The boy is thought to have been aware of the dangerous contrivance for he lived nearby.

The Wines boy and a companion, Robert Estep, were on their way for a stroll in the country. As they passed the apparatus the former said he pro­posed getting a shock. His compan­ion warned him away and read the dan­ger sign to him. But the other per­sisted and whittled off the insulation web from a piece of wire attached to the fence. Reaching through the net­ting he touched a feed wire and was instantly knocked down. Death was not instantantaneous {sic} for he sprang to his feet and screamed to his companion that he was dying, then staggered across the road and fell lifeless. The commotion attracted the attention of Al Simon, nearby, who hurried to the scene and with several others carried the limp form to the Wines home. Physicians were summoned but the boy was beyond all aid. —Waukon Democrat