North House Fatalities

Late Friday afternoon, shortly after the severe rainstorm, a derrick at the south end of the north wing of the new cellhouse went down with a crash, one man losing his life and three others being injured.

The man killed was F. H. Reynolds, of Hamilton county, committed there only twelve days before for two years and six months for larceny. The five lower ribs on his right side were broken loose from the spine and he was otherwise injured internally, it is supposed, as the abdominal cavity was afterwards found to be full of blood. Reynolds did not regain consciousness and death ensued in two hours. He was about 28 years old and unmarried.

C. Henderson, also a Hamilton county man who came here May 16th for two and a half years for robbery, was injured in the side and suffered a scalp wound. He is in the hospital. W. B. Pauk, Linn county, incarcerated Nov. 3, 1897, for two years for larceny, had his left foot crushed and it has been amputated. James Ellsworth is a Jones county man and was sent to the pen September 28, 1897, for six years for larceny. He was injured on one foot but not seriously.

Dr. McKay attended to the sufferers and the three in the hospital are doing well. Reynolds, the dead man, was held until Monday afternoon in the hope that some relative might be heard from, but without success. The burial in the prison cemetery occurred at three o'clock, Chaplain Byer officiating. All the men were on what is called the platform of the derrick, about twelve or fifteen feet from the ground.

At the time the derrick went down a stone about three tons in weight was being elevated when, for some reason that nobody as yet has been able to discover, the base of the derrick slipped from its socket and fell. A stone over four tons in weight had been lifted by the same derrick. Mr. T. C. Mollett, foreman of derricks, was a sailor fourteen years and foreman of derricks at the State capitol eleven years.

Another sad accident, which resulted in the death of Edwy Surber, 5120, at 2:30 PM Wednesday occurred at 10:30 AM of the 25th inst. Surber was engaged at the time with the foreman of derricks replacing a stone that had been displaced on the turret on the northwest corner of the North Cellhouse.

The light piece of pine he was using to support himself and the stone broke, precipitating him to the top of the wall some thirty feet below. Officer Edwards who is stationed in the tower at that point witnessed the fall and quickly jumped to Surber's assistance to prevent him going to the ground forty feet farther down.

Assistance was quickly summoned. With the aid of a stretcher and ropes, he was lowered to the yard. His right arm was broken and splintered so badly the bones protruded through the flesh. Otherwise, except for the death-pallor in his face there were no outward indications of serious injury. If he was in pain he bore his suffering with remarkable nerve, remaining conscious for the three hours he lived and even smiling in recognition of those around him.

Prison Physician Druet, assisted by Hospital Steward Kratochvil held a postmortem examination and found that Surber's death was due to hemorrhage of the mesenteric artery. The body was interred in the Colony (prison) cemetery.

Edwy Surber was a young man 26 years of age. He was received in November, 1903, from Sac County, to serve two years.