Iowa
Old Press
Sioux City Journal
Sioux City, Woodbury co. Iowa
Friday, August 7, 1908
Page 10, Column 6
LIVE WIRE CAUSES DEATH - WALTER DRUMM SWINGS ON A WIRE
AND IS ELECTROCUTED -
COMPANIONS SAW ACCIDENT
Running an Errand for Mother, Little Chap Grasps Electric Light
Wire, Broken by Storm, and Is Instantly Killed--Father is Away.
Laughing in boyish glee in anticipation of swinging on a wire
which extended from an electric light pole almost to the street,
Walter Drumm, aged 12 years (death record says 10), the son of
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Drumm, West Fifth and Ross streets,
grasped the wire, and while two young companions stood horror
stricken, 2,500 volts of electricity passed through his body,
killing him almost instantly. Walter Drumm, with Fred and Albert
Neth, boys of about his own age, was on his way from home to a
butcher shop. The accident occurred at West Seventh and Rebecca
streets at 8:30 o'clock yesterday morning. In an endeavor to
release their companion from the wire the Neth boys were severely
shocked by the current. It was the shouts of the Neth boys which
attracted James E. Booge, a clerk at the Smith's Villa pharmacy,
who by means of throwing a rubber bicycle pump tube around the
wire, pulled it from the boy's grasp. Nelson Clark, 1115 West
Seventeenth street, grabbed the boy a few seconds after he took
hold of the wire, and was himself knocked down. The body was
removed to the residence of Mrs. Woodbury Sanborn, 701 Rebecca
street.
Wire Broken by Storm.
The wire, which was part of the Sioux City Gas and Electric
company's system, was broken at West Seventh and Rebecca streets
during last night's storm. From shortly before 1 o'clock in the
morning until about 8:30 o'clock, the time at which the fatality
occurred, the wire, the insulation of which was burned off, had
been hanging in the street. Mrs. Woodbury Sanborn said that at
5:30 o'clock she telephoned police headquarters the wire was
dangling in the street, a menace to pedestrians. As soon as
informed of the matter Officer Robert Carraher, who was acting as
desk sergeant, made a note of it and within a few minutes
telephoned to the Electric company's plant. It was cut down at
about 9 o'clock by City Electrician Provost, who said that it was
charged with 2,500 volts. "Come on, boys, let's swing on the
wire," were the last words the boy uttered. After running a
few steps he grasped the death dealing instrument with both
hands. Eyewitnesses say that while he must have been killed
almost instantly, he seemed to endeavor at first to release his
hold. His hands were burned and there are two black spots on his
face.
Father Is Away.
The father, William H. Drumm, who is a traveling agent for the
Sioux City Brewing company, and who is absent in the Black Hills,
during Mayor Quick's administration was captain of police. He has
a wide acquaintance in the city. This afternoon he was located at
Phillip, S. D. William H. Drumm, jr., brother of the dead boy,
who is an elevator boy in the Iowa building, was informed of the
accident by overhearing a conversation between Judge A. Van
Wagenen and J. M. Lynch. Judge Van Wagenen near the elevator
asked Mr. Lynch if he had heard that a young Drumm on the West
Side had been killed. Crying in amazement that the dead boy was
his brother, the youth sent the elevator to the bottom and ran
from the building. Mrs. Drumm is prostrated with grief. At a time
when she was expecting the child to return from the market
heartsick friends broke the awful news to her. The accident has
cast a gloom over the entire West Side, where the boy and his
parents are well known.
Page 5, Column 4
WOULD GUARD LIVE WIRES
Metz Says He Will Bring the Matter Before Council
At the next meeting of the city council Alderman Henry Metz will
see to it that some measure is taken to protect the public from
live wires which accidentally fall into the street. Shocked by
the accident yesterday which cost the life of Walter Drumm, the
alderman said steps should be taken immediately to see that there
was not a repetition of such catastrophes of which there have
been a number lately. He had not determined upon the method by
which his end might be accomplished but said he would see to it
that provision is made immediately. There is no city ordinance
which specifically states whose duty it shall be to guard fallen
wires, the franchise under which the Sioux City Gas and Electric
company operates merely requiring that the company keep its lines
in safe repair. Mr. Metz suggests that the city have a man whose
duty it should be to report such places as were found dangerous
on account of live wires. City attorney Fred Sergeant said it
would be his idea to have the police department made responsible
for the guarding of wires until the electric company could see to
the repair.
[transcribed by V.R., February 2006]
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Sioux City Journal
Sioux City, Woodbury co. Iowa
Saturday, August 8, 1908
Page 5, Column 4
THE DRUMM INQUEST BEGUN - SEVERAL WITNESSES GIVE
CONFLICTING TESTIMONY - WUESTHOFF MAKES DENIAL
Nelson Clark Tells Coroner Death Was Instantaneous for Lad and
that He Never Spoke After Grasping the Wire-- Inquest Adjourned
That little Walter Drumm, who was electrocuted Thursday morning
by grasping an electric light wire near West Seventh and Rebecca
streets, was instantly killed is the opinion of Nelson Clark,
1115 West Seventeenth street, who yesterday afternoon testified
at the inquest into the boy's death at Westcott's undertaking
parlors. Mr. Clark, who arrived upon the scene a few minutes
after the boy clutched the wire, said the boy did not utter a
word. It was his opinion he gasped twice, but that he was
insensible from the time that he came in contact with the wire.
It was the shouts of the youth's companions which attracted James
E. Googe, a drug clerk, who pulled wire from the boy with a
rubber bicycle pump tube. He did not see the child until after he
was dead. Although two witnesses testified that they notified
Henry Wuesthoff, night engineer at the power plant, that a wire
was down the man made oath that he did not receive a telephone
message during the night or morning from anyone. Robert Carraher,
acting desk sergeant, said that shortly after 5 o'clock in the
morning, a few minutes after he was notified by Mrs. Woodbury
Sanborn that a live wire was hanging near the sidewalk, he
reported the matter by telephone to the electric plant. He told
that the man with whom he was talking said that he would have the
wire attended to at once. Dave Long, an employee of the Sioux
City Traction company, said he telephoned to the electric light
plant at about 6 o'clock concerning the occurrence. Mr.
Wuesthoff, who should have received the messages, stated that the
telephone bell did not ring from the time he went on duty at
night until he was relieved at about 8 o'clock in the morning.
Paul Kosak, day engineer, said that at about 8:20 o'clock in the
morning, a short time after he went on duty, he was notified from
the police station that a wire was down. Men soon afterward were
sent to cut it down, but they did not arrive until about 9
o'clock, a half hour or so after the boy was killed. Mr. Kosak
said that because of trouble with the wires during Wednesday
night's storm the current on several circuits was thrown off. No
trouble had been reported on the West Side circuits. The wire
which caused the boy's death was not blown across another wire,
as was at first thought, but was hanging directly down from a
pole, according to the testimony of City Electrician Provost.
Detective Curtis, who arrived a few minutes after the fatality,
said that the grass and weeds where the wire had been blown were
burned, and that the pavement was scorched. Fred Neth, who was
with Walter Drumm when he clutched the wire, said that two or
three boys started to run for the wire with the intention of
swinging on it. The Drumm boy reached it first. He said the
child, after touching the wire, did not utter a word. Fred tried
to pull him from the wire and sustained a severe shock. The
jurors were H. A. Barr, J. B. Preston and C. F. Pecaut. To secure
additional evidence the inquest was continued until 1:30 o'clock
this afternoon.
[transcribed by V.R., February 2006]
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Sioux City Journal
Sioux City, Woodbury co. Iowa
Sunday, August 9, 1908
Page 7, Column 6
DEATH DUE TO NEGLIGENCE - VERDICT GIVEN IN THE WALTER
DRUMM CASE - POLICE AND COMPANY BLAMED
Jury Hold that Officer Should Have Seen to It that Wire Was Not
Left Unprotected-- Squabble Is Over the Question of Telephoning
That Walter Drumm came to his death as a result of having come in
contact with a broken live electric light wire, the same being
due to the negligence of the police department and the Sioux City
Gas and Electric company, was the verdict yesterday of the
coroner's jury which investigated the cause of death. Fourteen
witnesses were heard at the inquest, which was convened at 1:30
o'clock Friday. Those who testified yesterday were C. C.
Gartland, superintendent of the electrical plant of the Sioux
City Gas and Electric company; Edward E. Skoglund and Edward Te
Veltrup, men who were engaged at the plant Wednesday night and
Thursday morning. Coroner J. H. Robbins exerted his efforts to
ascertain whether telephone No. 88, in the electric light plant,
was answered at about 5 o'clock Thursday morning, the time at
which Officer Carraher is said to have notified the night
engineer that a wire was down. Skoglung said he was working near
telephone 88 all night, and that he did not hear the bell ring.
Mr. Te Veltrup testified that he went to bed at about 5 o'clock,
and that he might not have heard it if it had been sounded. The
night engineer testified Friday that the bell did not ring at any
time during the morning. Officer Carrher and Dave Long, an
employee of the traction company, both gave oath that they
notified some one at the plant by telephone, and they were told
that the matter would be attended to. Patrolman Pfaff states that
he was present when Carraher telephoned. It is the contention of
the jury, which was composed of H. A. Barr, J. B. Preston and C.
F. Pecaut, that the police department in a measure was to blame
for permitting the wire to remain in it's dangerous place for
three hours after they were notified that it had fallen.
[transcribed by V.R., February 2006]