White - Robert Porter - Sp - Am War - Montgomery InGenWeb Project

Robert Porter White, son of Hon. M. D. White, was instantly killed about five o’clock Tuesday afternoon while working as a lineman for the Home Telephone Company, a wire which he held in his hand coming in contact with an improperly insulated wire of the city electric plant and causing 1,500 volts to pass through his body into the ground.

The high wind of Tuesday kept the linemen of the telephone company busy, and in the afternoon Bob White was sent to the home of Dr. Niven, who resides with W. F. Sass on South Green Street, where a wire was reported down. He found on arriving that the wire had broken off about six feet from the pole which stood in the barn lot back of the house. The house has the city electric light service also, and a wire ran in not far from the telephone wire. Bob proceeded at once and after getting the telephone wire over a tree which stood in the way, he entered the barn lot and proceeded to draw in the slack preparatory to splicing it before climbing the pole to affect the repair. What occurred is best told by the nearest eye witness, Arthur Sass, the son of H. F. Sass. Arthur said on Wednesday: “I stood leaning over the barn lot fence watching Mr. White as he worked. He had begun to draw the line in pulling it across the electric light wire. He had not been working long when suddenly he started, stiffened and exclaimed “My God!” fell slowly to the ground. I knew at once that the current from the electric light wire had passed through him and supposed that he could not let go. I jumped over the fence as quickly as I could and seized a board to knock the telephone wire from his hand and so break the connection, but as soon as I came up to him I saw that the wire was free, he having dropped it as he fell. I saw too that he was dead and that his face was getting black, but still I started on a run for Dr. Niven whom I met as he came in the front gate. He went quickly to the place of the accident but, of course, could do nothing.”

Mrs. George I. Dooley, who resided in the house just south of the Sass residence, stated on Wednesday: “Mr. White had borrowed my clothes prop to get the line free from the tree where it was lodged and a few minutes later I was startled by hearing several sharp, hissing sounds. I looked out and saw sparks of all colors flying from the telephone wire at the point of its junction with the house. A few moments later Arthur Sass ran around saying Mr. White had been killed. Those in a position to know the facts state that when the work began the electric light current was not on and that it was turned on while Bob was drawing the telephone wire over the electric light wire. The insulation of the electric light wire was so rotten as to be of no service whatever and the instant the current was turned on at the works, therefore, the fatality occurred. Bob, standing in the barn lot with a wire across the unprotected electric light wire, formed a perfect ground connection and the greater portion of the 1,500 volts passed through his body to the ground. The surplus current rushed along the telephone wire to the Sass residence and burned out the phone. This surplus caused the hissing sparks seen by Mrs. Dooley.

A portion of the surplus voltage rushed to the central telephone exchange, throwing down every shutter on the board and creating no little consternation there. It was not known for some time what caused the disturbance.

As soon as possible after the accident the body was removed to Barnhill’s undertaking establishment, where it was prepared for burial. The only disfigurement was a slight indention of the wire about an inch long between the thumb and fore finger on the left hand. Before an hour the black discoloration had passed away.

The shock to the parents of the deceased was a most telling one and they are fairly prostrated by the terrible misfortune. Bob was their youngest child and was born in Crawfordsville twenty one years ago last month. When the war with Spain broke out he was one of the first to enlist and was a member of Company M, 158th Indiana. Upon the organization of the new militia company here, he was chosen first sergeant and held the position at the time of his death. The company attended the funeral and Bob was buried in his uniform. He was an industrious young man of great capability and was popular with his many friends.

The funeral took place from the family residence on West Pike Street Thursday afternoon at 3:30 o’clock, the services being conducted by Dr. Tharp. Miss Grace White arrived home Wednesday. She had left only Tuesday for her vacation at Mackinac, Mich., and was reached by telephone at Detroit. Miss Anna White, who was visiting in Chicago, reached home at noon Wednesday