BOY ELECTROCUTED

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1927, Page 1

BOY ELECTROCUTED

“This boy was the most perfectly developed person I have ever seen. I have never seen a more perfectly formed human being in my life.” saitl Dr. Alfred Arthur at the inquest at Newport (Moil.) yesterday on Donald Williams, aged 14, soil of the matron at the scattered homes of the Newport Board of Guardians, who was found dead on his bed with wireless earphones on bis head and a piece of ilex connected with a crystel set in bis mouth Miss Cberringgton, a clerk, said she

found tbe boy lying on tbe bed with the wire in bis mouth. A reading-lamp was Reside tbe bed and tbe wireless set was on the same table. The wire from the reading-lamp was attached to a socket where an electric globe was fitted when the reading-lamp was not. in use.

The bedstead was of iron and tlie wire

was around the nobs of two of tlie posts. AYlien she put her elbow on the rail of the bedstead she felt a .slight shock. 230 A r OLTS SHOCK.

1 ’olicc-Tnspcetor Precce said that when tbe switch of file reading-lamp was turned off no shock from the bedstead was noticed. Tile flex on examination was found to bo frayed, but bo could not say whether the bare wire was

exposed. Air. TL S. R. Sales, installation engineer under tbe Newport Corporation, said that if tbe defect in tbe insulation of tbe Hex leading to tbe lamp wore brought into contact with the iron bedstead tbe latter would become part of the lighting circuit, and anyone touching the bedstead would receive tbe full force of tbe charge of 230 volts. In bis opinion death w.ns duo to a leakage in tbe flex—the load from the lamp to the socket. The fittings of the lights which lie found in use should never have boon substituted for those provided in the regulations. TRTCK TO HEAR BETTER.

Dr. Alfred Author said the boy bad been electrocuted and that dentil rvas instant, The effect on tbe earth wire (of his crystal set) being placed in his mouth would mnho the shock greater and quicker than if it had touched

any other part of the hoy’s body because of the moisture.

M. J. O. Rhodes, an electrical medi■al specialist, attributed the cause of

the accident to the switch being on the neutral side and the flex being defective. He thought the hoy might have been playing about with the wire, hut ho had heard that one was able to he'ar better hv putting the wire in the mouth.

Summing up the coroner said it was an accident that a, crystal wireless set was the course whereby the current was earthed in that rinse. It was the action of that unfortunate lad. who had learned the trick of amplifying in the manner described, which transferred a perfectly harmless apparatus into a connecting link between himself and the shock. He did not think that any one who used a crystal set need have the slightest apprehension of any danger, providing they did not use the wire as this lad had done. A verdict of accidental death, due to receiving an electric shook was returned.