YOUTH ELECTROCUTED.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume LXXXI, Issue 19050, 1 July 1924, Page 7

YOUTH ELECTROCUTED.

HAND TOUCHES LIVE WIRE. THROWN OVER PARAPET. An inquest into the circumstances of the death of John Leslie Lorimer Hannah, aged 17 years, who was electrocuted on Thursday last, was held at Southbridge on Saturday by Mr. R. B. B. Willis, J.P.. acting-coroner, and a jury, says the Christchurch Press. Dr. T. J. I. Hewins stated that he found Hannah lying in front of a fire in D. Taylor and Co.’s office, where artificial respiration methods were tried without avail. John Grant Stephens, electrical engineer, Public Works Department, said that he had examined the electric wires connecting Taylor and Co. ’s premises on Thursday morning. The binder had been put on in such a way that it had cut through the insulation and the binder had become alive. A test made showed that a person touching the wire, and standing on the roof of Taylor and Co.’s shop, would receive a shock. The voltage was found to be 230. During the last few months three or four people had been killed off 230 voltage by contact. John Kilbride said he had seer. Hannah standing on a plank on the verandah, painting the cap of tho parapet of the shop. Hannah put his ladder against the high part and camo to the low part, where the wires were. He took hold of the high part, of tho parapet with his hand and had ono knee on the low part of the parapet. The next thing witness saw was tho youth go over the parapet like a shot, and his left hand was holding the wire. Witness immediately informed Mr. Dyce, the contractor, and Mr. Taylor, owner of the premises. .Deceased did not call out. His hand was near the insulato?. The following verdict was returned: 4 4 That the deceased met his death by being electrocuted by his hand coming in contact with the copper wire binding of the phase wire, connecting tho premises of David Taylor and Co. On the face of the evidence, we agree .that the insulation of the phase wire was damaged by the copper wire binding, thus causing the binder to become alive. The evidence goes to show that the damage to the insulation was caused at the time the binding was applied.**