Burton, Perry

Three men are dead as the result of the accident at the Mahutska Mine Tuesday night, while the fourth man is in a critical condition and not expected to live. The dead are: Herbert Crowley, 24 years old; Jake Chaney, 31, and Perry Burton, 18, while Louis Davis is still alive. Chaney was the first of the men to die and the others followed at intervals of only a few hours. Crowley is survived by his mother, who resides at Picher Oklahoma, while Chaney leaves a wife at Picher and two daughters residing in Joplin Missouri.

The hoist brake failed to work and the men dropped a distance of 200 feet to the bottom of the shaft.

Through the failure of the brake to work in the Mahutska Mine shaft Tuesday night, four hard rock lead and zinc miners are in a Joplin Missouri hospital, and it is probable all will die. They are: Louis Davis, both arms and one leg broken; also internal injuries.

Perry Burton, internal injuries.

Jake Chaney, back hurt and internal injuries.

Herbert Crowley, internal injuries. The accident occurred about 9 o'clock Tuesday night, and Dr. Dobson, of this city, was called to wait on the injured men. He says none of them can recover. B. Wallace was the hoistman. The shaft is 250 feet deep, and the can, inwhich the men were descending, had gone down about 50 feet when the brake failed to hold. The occupants of the can shot to the bottom of the shaft like a plummet. Wallace immediately called for assistance and the men were hoisted to the surface, where they were given first aid and hastily removed to a hospital. Davis and Chaney were machine men, while Burton and Crowley were dummies.

The funeral of J. L. Chaney, who died from injuries received in an accident at the Mahutska Mine Tuesday night, was conducted from the residence, at Sixth and Columbus streets, Picher Oklahoma, Friday at 10 o'clock. Interment was in Fairview cemetery, Joplin Missouri. Deceased, who leaves a wife and four children, moved to Picher about three months ago. He was one of four men who fell 200 feet to the bottom of the shaft when the brake failed to work. Three of the men died from their injuries, while the fourth is in a serious condition.

Two suits asking a total of $50,000 as the result of mine accidents in the last two months were filed Tuesday in Ottawa county Oklahoma district court in Miami. In the First Mrs. Ella Chaney asks $25,000, from the Mahutska Mining Company for the death of her husband, who was killed on Jan. 1. She says he was a shift boss and machine man. He was killed in 250 foot fall to the bottom of a shaft and she blames the company for carelessness. The second suit is that of Mrs. Emily Cooper against the Walker Mining Company. Her husband was working at the bottom of a shaft when hit on the head and killed in December, she says. She also asks $25,000 for his death. Note: This article does not give the first name of Cooper, and did not find the article about the accident on the date mentioned above, but believe it could be W. C. Cooper. See his article.

Sadie Odell, Maude Devine and Elmer Chaney filed suit in the Ottawa county Oklahoma district court at Miami, Friday, for $25,000 damages from the Mahutska Mining Company, and the Ramage Mining Company. The plaintiffs, according to the petition, are the only children and heirs of Jake Chaney, who was killed in an accident at the Mahutska Mine Jan 1, 1919.