The New York herald., 1874-08-26
A DANGEROUS ROOF.

EDWARD McMahOn's Death from n Three
story Leap-Two Surgeons Unable to
Discover Two Broken Ribs and a Fatal
Fracture Of the Skull.
Coroner ElckhOn yesterday held an inquest I'm
the matter OF the death Of Edward McMahon a
boiermaker. aged twenty three years, who fell
rom the roof or the rear three story house No asa
East Tenth street. on the night OF August a. and
del from his injuries the following morning Nc.
MahOn according to the testimony OF his mother
had been IN the habit for the past ten years OF
sleeping on the roof during the summer heats
There was also q young woman who slept on the
roof for some time back. Edward went to his airy
dOrmitory about ten O'Clock, when his mother
perceived no sign OF drink upon him. He carried
aloft his pallet and the mother knew nothing OF
him further till after twelve, when she was
awakened by O disturbance In the house and some
one saying person had fallen from the rOof. She
at once went up ard found EDWARDS bed appa-
rently as though he had just arranged 1t 10 lie
down. He was not TO be seen and she went to
where the girl was lying, apparently sound asleep.
She shook ner and inquired where Edward was.
The girl replied, 'In his bed, l suppose" and
seemed utterly ignorant OF his absence. BY this
time the police had arrived, and picking the young
man up from the area, helped him into cart,
which conveyed him to the police station, followed
by the mother. He had the appearance OF per-
son stupehed with liquor, answered questions,
SUNG THE MULLIGAN GUARDS,
was jolly and gave no account OF his leap from
the ROOT, which was a nat one and entirely un
guarded at the edge by parapet or railing To pre-
vent the rolling on OF Its summer night sleeping
tenants. sergeant Ahearn, who was Ia charge at
the Eleventh precinct station house, sent Tor the
1elt McMahon's pulse ana found it normal, but mis-
language was obscene and his conduct decidedly
harous HIS mother tired O. to check ms rrega
and his tongue ran on like Tlton's with the ser.
want girl. He told q halt coherent tale OF having
oeen threatened with violence by two strange men
on the ROOF two nights previous.
TWO SURGICAL LUMINARIES.
At length the medical officers came, Both the
ambulance surgeon and the police surgeon ex-
amtned the leaper and could find no injury upon
cut, bruise ABRASION confusion or other tr .ce Of
violence. They only saw In him good natured,
tipsy man. Their acute and trained sense OF
feeling could detect no fracture or displacement
OF any bone, limb or organ Their practised touch
detected no abnormal characteristics OF arterlal
sounds from heart or lungs. Yet this noisy station
house patient, whom the two lights OF science in
RIBS, fatal fracture oI the skull and internal in
Juries which were alone enough to have produced
death In short time.
He was mo case for me-" the ambulance sur
geon said, and the police surgeon declined to see
any occasion TOR treatment. by their advice the
police sergeant had him conveyed home. He
walked up the stairs with the assistance Of Oficer
Myers, who left him on the floor OF his mothers
room as jolly a boy as ever slept on a roof where
TWO empty whskey bottles and sound sleeping
young woman were LEFT behind alter his sudden
descent. He talked and sung and TO his mother
seemed little out OF his head till nine O'Clock in
the morning, when death sienced his noisy tongue.
His mother suspected he had been pushed from the
roof No proof appeared to sustain her belief.
DR.. Leo, VINO made the post-mOrtem examina-
ton, testified that he found fracture OF the right
temporal bone, fracture OF two ribs on the right
side and rupture OF the spleen. He thought death
resulted from compression Of the brain So
dental death from falling OF the roof There are
many roofs In this city similarly unprOvlded with
guards at the edge, and hundreds sleep upon them
IN the hot summer nights.