Show THE INQUEST BAM E X NEWTON GUILTY OF CRIMINAL negligence IN REFUSING TO AS sat aist THE DROWNING MAW MAN yesterday afternoon coroner george J taylor held an inquest at tile the city halt hali to inquire into the circumstances connected with the drowning of thos Jack jackson SOU on sunday last the jurors were mr E F W ruff mr thomas patten and dr jeter clinton the first witness called was robert lemon lemo I 1 lie he was with the party at ane liver the wager between newton and Ja jackson ekson heard no one urge jackson on to the race except urge newton eton deceased did not wish to go into the water vater but bat newton said he would take the watch if he did not witness was within ten feet of the old man when he was drowning asked newton to help him but he refused witness did not try to save him because hil he could not swim and there was napole no pole or brush around E W maynes corroborated lemons testimony he asked newton to push jackson to the bank but the latter reused refused f aud came out of the water soon after where jackson drowned the ane water was not more than two feet deep and newton was in about three feet of water he could have baye candied the old man out easily v witness itress did not know until next day that the water was so shallow or he would have gone in himself he did not venture in because he could not swim could not say the old man to drown but he was of a stubborn disposition and ref refused used help both of the men were under the influx influence nee of liquor newtons New tons watch was more variable than jacksons Jack souls witness had heard that the old man was a good swimmer james holland testified that jackson had bad a sister in liverpool and one near worcestershire england jackson was pretty I 1 full witness begged him not to go into the water but he did be was perspiring er f reely freely and was excited wae while he was undressing for the race newton could have sav saved d him as k N they were only about eight feet apart the old man would not nos have entered the water if nestov had bad not urged ur ged him to when newton was asked why he did not respond to the call all for assistance si he said he did not propose to risk his bis own life andlee and let him go samuel C newton was called he was drunk and had conducted himself in a boisterous manner he claimed that jackson urged him to swim tile the race witness was drunk at the time maynes and lemon measured off the 11 distance istance the swimmers started from the black bridge witness care caie whether jackson beat him or 0 pot t he heard lemon call to him out was too far away to help asked lemon to jump in and told him it was not deep witness was ton intoxicated and too far off to save jackson did not hear any one else call J G crocker testified that newton had got jackson lined with liquor after lie he came back he boasted that he had drowned the old man and would drown witness too if he came down he had the same saire bitter feeling next T thomas hornas if J mcewan and samuel potts testified tetti fled to the finding of the body in the river near Wi WiDe Degara garls aud identified it as that of thomas jackson this ck sed the ahe testimony and the jurors returned turned le the following verdict TERRITORY OF UTAH county of salt halt lake J an inquisition holien at the city hall in the filth fifth precinct of salt lake city on the day of august be tore fore geqrge J taylor coroner of said county upon the body ot of taos jackson lying dead by the jurors whose names are hereunto subscribed the said jurors on their oaths do say from the evidence presented that he came to his death by drowning iq 14 the jordan river below the black bridge in salt bait lake city about 7 7 p m on sunday the eighth day of august A D 1886 and tay the further find that chat the said death was attributable in a great measure to the criminal negligence neg irence of one samuel E newton in testimony whereof the said jurors have hereunto set their hands tue tile day and year 5 ear first above written w atten JETER CLINTON E B W RUIF PATTEN partin jurors GEORGE J TAYLOR coroner during the examination the conduct of the drunken fellow newton became so offensive that he was removed irom from the room and placed un under der arrest for drunkenness this morning lie he was fined 10 forthe for the offense As the jury had found that newton was imp implicated licater by his action in the drowning of jackson coroner taylor issued a warrant for his arrest which was served it is not likely however that any legal proceedings can be had against him while he was und under e r moral obligations to give assistance to the drowning man yet no legal punishment can be inflicted indicted tor for his failure to do so unless additional evidence can be found to show that it was his intention to drown the deceased the body of the drowned ma man n was interred by the sexton newton who is about as mean and contemptible a person erson as can be met with and is nearly always drunk was lodged in jail and will be required to work out his bis fine with the chain gang |