 West Hill Cemetery Sherman, Texas  Sherman Daily Register Monday, September 24, 1900 pg. 3 ACCIDENTAL ELECTROCUTION The Terrible Fate of W.S. (Tobe), Who, While At Work Last Saturday CAME IN CONTACT WITH LIVE WIRES In the Light Circuit of Sherman Oil and Cotton Company and Met Instant Death W.S. (Tobe) Rucker, aged 23 years, employed by the Inter-urban Railroad company in the construction department now engaged in putting in overhead equipment, was almost instantly killed on South Travis street Saturday afternoon from coming in contact with a live wire in use by the Sherman Oil and Cotton Co. There is a severe burn across the left wrist and that was the only serious mark the deadly current left on its victim. The statement of several people who saw the accident are about in substance as appears hereinafter in the testimony adduced before Coroner Barker. Rucker had been married only a few months and he and his wife resided in Fairview but the body at the request of all was carried to the residence of the deceased's mother, corner of Richards and Throckmorton streets, north Sherman. From thence the funeral took place, the burial being at West Hill yesterday afternoon. It became necessary in taking the body of the dead man from the awning to clamber over the roof of a one story brick business house. While there was a ladder leading up to the awning and scores of people had gathered in the streets, no one cared to run the risk of colliding with the deadly wires. Justice Baker was notified a few minutes after the accident occurred and went to the stable of James Batsell where the body had been taken and viewed it. Testimony has been adduced as follows: G.W. Taylor being sworn, on oath deposes and says, "I was engaged yesterday, September 22, in assisting to put in some poles in Sherman for the trolley wire. About 5:15 o'clock in the afternoon we were setting up a pole on South Travis street and Tobe Rucker was assiting in the work. Rucker was on top of the awning guilding a pole through a hole in the awning. I heard something fall on the awning and stepping out into the street, I saw Mr. Rucker partly down on the awning. We found Mr. Rucker unconscious and breathing very heavily. A physician was called immediately after Rucker received the hurt. Rucker died soon after the doctor arrived. When I first saw Rucker partly down on the awning, his left arm was still touching a live wire, said to be an alternating wire of the Sherman Oil and Cotton Company's plant. The wire with which Rucker's arm was in contact was naked, that is the insulation was gone except now and then some small pieces of insulation were on it." This was signed by Mr. Taylor and also by George Morine and C.E. Creiger. Charles L. May, city sanitary officer deposes and says: "I know Tobe Rucker, I was present when he was working putting up poles, that is I was just across the street from where he was at work. I saw him go up on the awning. Men below were pushing a pole up through the awning and Rucker was assisting to raise it through the hole cut through the awning, being on top of the awning. When I nexted looked over he had just started to fall. I said to the men below that Rucker was hurt. About the time he started to fall, I noticed that his wrist was about the wire. It seemed to me that the wire was touching the wrist or the back of his hand. Both arms seemed to be stiff and he eased down to the awning on his back. The statement of Dr. Blassingame was taken today and Coroner Barker has returned a finding that Rucker came to his death from contact with a live wire in the system of the Sherman Oil and Cotton company and that same was inadequately insulated. Rucker was a veteran of the Spanish American War and served under Capt. Ryan in the Grayson Rifles. It is a strange coincidence that 3 members of this company have died suddenly within a month's time. Everett Wages was killed in a wreck near Hearne and ex-Chief of Police Joe Melton died suddenly of heart failure at Lehigh, I.T. The wire with which Rucker came in contact was a small one in the...circuit. This system carries...volts at the generating station and allowing for drop was perhaps fully 1000 at the place w here the accident occurred. All conditions were favorable for it to take effect. The shoes of the deceased were damp and he was standing on a metal roof. West Hill Cemetery Elaine Nall Bay ©2020 If you find any of Grayson County TXGenWeb links inoperable, please send me a message. |