Cope, Clyde

An investigation was being conducted this afternoon by Riley Clark, district mine inspector, into the death of Clyde Cope, 27 years old, of Baxter Springs Kansas, who died this morning after collapsing while at work in the Beaver Hard Rock Lead and Zinc Mine of the Commerce Mining and Royalty Company at Cardin Oklahoma. First reports that Cope had been electrocuted were not substantiated in a preliminary investigation. No burns could be found on his body, doctors said. Cope was stricken while working as machine man. Cope was given artificial resuscitation and he was breathing when he reached Miami Baptist hospital in an ambulance called from the Cooper undertaking company of Miami. His heart failed to respond, however.

Cope leaves his wife, Mrs. Inez Cope, and one small son. Also surviving are his mother, Mrs. Perry Jenkins of Picher Oklahoma, and five brothers, Roy Cope of Baxter Springs, Chester Cope and Raymond Cope of Joplin Missouri, Carl Cope of Picher and LloydCope of Niantic Illinois. Funeral arrangements have not been completed. The body is at the Cooper undertaking company of Miami.

An inquest into the death of Clyde Cope of Baxter Springs Kansas, who died Tuesday morning after collapsing in the Beaver Mine at Cardin Oklahoma, where he was employed as a machine man, was begun this afternoon before J. C. Baker, justice of the peace. Cope at first was thought to have met death as a result of an electrical shock, but an investigation Tuesday afternoon by Riley Clark, deputy mine inspector, did not substantiate this report and an inquest was ordered held. No burns could be found on Cope's body, physicians said.

A coroner's jury was impaneled late Tuesday afternoon and taken to the Cooper undertaking company at Miami to view the body. Following that the jury was released until 2 o'clock this afternoon. The jurors are John L. Shannon, Kenneth Kimmel, George Finley, J. B. Dyer, M. Scott and Charles Doan.

Funeral services for Cope will be at 10 o'clock Thursday morning at the chapel of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher Oklahoma. Burial will be in a cemetery at McElhany Missouri.

Funeral services for Clyde G. Cope, 27, of Baxter Springs, who was electrocuted Tuesday at the Beaver Mine at Cardin Oklahoma, were held at the chapel of the Todd undertaking company, of Picher Oklahoma at 10 o'clock this morning. The Rev. Maurice Lyerla, pastor of the Christian church, officiated. Burial was in McElhaney cemetery, seven miles southwest of Neosho Missouri.

Further investigation reveals a "short" caused death of Beaver Mine worker. That Clyde Cope of Baxter Springs Kansas, who met death Tuesday morning at the Beaver Mine at Cardin Oklahoma, where he was employed as a machine man, died as a result of an electrical shock was the verdict returned Wednesday afternoon by a coroner's jury before J. C. Baker, justice of the peace.

Ray Dorris, fellow worker of Cope's testified he was standing within three steps of Cope when he was stricken. Dorris said he grabbed Cope, but received such a charge of electricity from his body that he jerked loose and ran to switch off the current. When he shut off the electricity, Cope fell to the ground, Dorris testified.

Dorris' testimony, together with that offered as a result of a further investigation conducted at the mine Wednesday morning, removed all doubt as to how Cope met his death. The electricity with which Cope came in contact was carried by a "short" from a two-horsepower motor, using 220-volt current, to a steel cable used as a guy- wire. Cope received the shock from the steel cable through his left hand, it was testified by Dorris. John Newton, field superintendent for the Commerce Mining and Royalty Company, testified the "shorted" current over the cable was not constant. He said he and others made every effort Tuesday afternoon to detect electricity in the cable, but failed to find any.

The "short" was discovered Wednesday morning when electricians made their examination. Vibration of the motor at times sent current over the cable, it was explained. The fact there were no burns on Cope's body was explained by Dr. George Webb of Cardin Oklahoma, who was the first physician to reach the mine following the accident. Dr. Webb said a 220 volt current might not cause burns, though it was sufficient to cause death in Cope's case. Cope had been "sprinkling down" and his feet and hands were wet. The physician testified further that burns might have developed on Cope had he lived a short while longer.

Clyde Cope, age 27, died July 19, 1927, at Cardin Oklahoma. Burial at McElheney Missouri.