Stauffer, Abraham

A DISTRESSING ACCIDENT.
Abraham Stauffer Caught in a Leath-
er Drum at Acton Tanning Co's
Works and Crushed to Death
on Saturday.
As the result of an accident, entirely unexpected, in a moment of time, one of Acton's respected citizens, Mr. Abraham Stauffer, lost his life on Saturday morning.
Mr. Stauffer was engaged in his usual work in the lower floor of the Acton Tanning Co's tannery, tending a drumming machine, which is used for one of the washing processes. About 11.30 he was pulling some sides of leather out of the drum, a huge wooden cylinder about eight feet in diameter with a manhole in the side, through which the leather is removed. Three of these drums stand in a line and are driven from the same line of shafting. It seems that the employees are in the habit of washing their overalls in these drums when they are not occupied in the regular way. At the time of the accident one of the other empoyees, David Smith, approached Mr. Stauffer, who has charge of the drums and asked if he might use an idle one for this purpose. Mr. Stauffer good naturedly assented and supposing the young man understood the machinery, went on with his work, inserting his head and arms in the manhole to facilitate the withdrawing of the leather. Young Smith threw his overalls in the unoccupied drum, turned on the water, and pushed one of the two controlling levers between the drums, to set it in motion. The levers are placed very closely together and in a peculiar way which is very misleading. They seem to be almost reversed in position and at first sight one would suppose that the right lever operated the right drum and the left its corresponding drum. In reality they act in just the opposite way. The young man, who had not operated the machine for sometime, very naturally pushed the wrong lever. At first he did not notice his mistake and wondered why the drum he was using did not move, but a shout from Stauffer showed him his mistake. He had started the wrong drum. Mr. Stauffer, with his head and arms through the manhole, was helpless. He was carried off his feet, pushed against a six-inch beam which carries the journal of the drum, and caught between this and the side of the drum was in an instant dreadfully crushed. Young Smith, as soon as he saw his mistake, reversed the lever, and the drum, with its weight of leather, fell back. The injured man, thus released, fell to his knees beside the drum and was assisted to a truck nearby. Though no marks were apparent, it was evident that he was badly injured. He was in a state of collapse and seemed to have great difficulty in breathing. He was taken upstairs on a truck and Dr. Gray, the firm's physician was hastily summoned. The doctor was shortly afterward on the scene, but saw at once that he could do nothing, so severe were the internal injuries. The injured man passed quietly away in a few minutes.
Dr. Ault, coroner, called an inquest, which was held in the Council Chamber at the town hall at eight o'clock on Saturday evening. Crown attorney Dick, of Milton, was present and the following jury was sworn in: S. McKenzie, R. J. McNabb, A. J. McKinnon, W. S. Chisholm, J. A. Murray, Jos. Holmes, H. Swackhamer, H. Jeans, R. Scott, W. Stark, W. J. Humphries, Wm. Hemstreet. Reeve Swackhamer was elected foreman.
The jury then proceded to Johnstone's undertaking rooms to view the body and on returning to the town hall several witnesses were examined.
Dr. Gray, who was called to attend the deceased, told of being summoned to the tannery and of finding the injured man reclining on a chair. He seemed to be in a state of collapse and died about eight minutes after his arrival. At that time no marks of wounds were visible. Death was caused by internal injuries, though what these were the Dr. could not exactly say, as he did not wish to examine him closely at the time.
Arthur Ellison, who was Mr. Stauffer's working mate at the drums, was about eighteen feet away at the time of the accident and did not see it. He first saw Mr. Stauffer wedged between the drum and the crosspiece, and then saw him drop to his knees. He said that the drum could be worked without inserting the head and arms, by means of a hook, but that the former method was generally followed as it was easier. The deceased could not have set the drum in motion while he was working in the manhole, nor are the levers of the machine at all likely to move of themselves. Witness persisted in asserting he did [not?]know how the accident happened, and on being questioned swore that he had not as yet heard any explanation of it nor was he curious enough to enquire or to formulate one.
Geo. Mann, who works a machine in front of the drums, heard a shout and looking round saw the injured man wedged between the drum and crossbeam. Then Mr. Stauffer released himself and fell on his knees beside the drum. Witness immediately went over, helped Mr. Stauffer to his feet and with Ellison's help, took him to a truck about five feet away. The injured man said "Oh, dear!" a couple of times but seemed to have great difficulty in breathing. After about five minutes he was taken upstairs on a truck. The deceased was usually careful around machinery and had worked these drums for years. Witness never knew the driving belt to slip from the idler to the main pulley.
Frank Gamble, who works about forty feet from the drums, told practically the same story. He, nor any of the other witnesses, seem to have seen the accident.
Wm. Smith, who runs a "stuffing wheel" about twenty feet away, in his evidence told something of the position of the levers operating the drums and showed that it would be possible for a man to make a mistake in operating the levers.
David Smith, who works with the last witness at a "stuffing wheel," gave the first clue as to how the accident happened. He was going to wash his overalls, he said, in one of the drums and asked Mr. Stauffer is he might use the middle drum. The latter said he might so he turned on the water in the wheel, threw in his overalls and then turned to pull the lever to start the drum. He has used the drum once before, some time ago, for the same purpose and thought he had the right lever, though he was not particularly careful. He shoved in one lever, saw that his drum didn't move, and supposed that the belt had slipped but suddenly he heard a shout and realised that he pushed the wrong lever. He quickly pulled the lever back and saw the drum roll back and Mr. Stauffer fall to his knees beside it.
Young Smith, though evidently feeling very badly over the accident, gave his evidence in a remarkably straightforward manner and seemed particularly anxious to make his own part in the unfortunate matter quite evident. His story was so clear that it left no doubt as to the cause of the accident and it was considered unecessary to call further witnesses.
The jury retired and after nine minutes delivered a verdict, as follows: That the deceased, Abraham Stauffer, came to his death through an accident caused partly by his own carelessness in allowing an inexperienced workman to run his machine and partly through the carelessness of David Smith. The jury further recommended that Messrs. Beardmore & Co. be advised to protect the levers operating these drums by locks.
Abraham Stauffer was born in Erin sixty-eight years ago, and has been a resident of Acton for twenty-two years, twenty-one of which have been spent in the employ of Beardmore & Co., in the Acton tanneries. He was indeed one of their most faithful workmen, was steady, reliable, and as a rule very careful. As a man he was exceedingly kind and genial and always had a cheery word for the passerby. He was a great lover of home and spent most of his leisure time in his garden or in improving his property on the corner of Church and Elgin Streets, which the family has occupied steadily since coming to Acton. He will indeed be missed. He leaves behind him, a widow, one daughter, Mrs. Wm. Cooper, Acton, a son, Samuel, in Wilmington, Del., and a brother, John, of Churchill.
The funeral on Monday afternoon was very largely attended. The Acton Tanning Company closed their works out of respect to their faithful workman and one hundred and fifty of the firm's employees preceeded the cortege to Fairview Cemetery. Rev. J. C. Wilson conducted the ceremony and the deceased was carried to his resting place by six of his fellow workmen, Murray McDonald, C. R. McIntosh, W. J. Miller, Samuel Taylor, Spencer Husband and James Hall.
The floral tributes were indeed beautiful and included offerings from the fellow employees of the deceased and several from friends and relatives of the family.
Several friends were present from outside points to add their quota of sympathy to the bereaved family. Among these were Mrs. Baker and Mrs. Eagle, of Caledon, sisters of Mrs. Stauffer, Mr. Isaac Stauffer, of Orton, and other relatives from Erin and Rockwood.