The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1875-02-23

and, strange TO say, but few were swara Of
the presence of the victim, the circum> tRnces
OF ms taking off, or the fatal results, until the
sad news was noised in the building and
surroundings. The only proposition on
record to Jump from the dome OF the capitol-
v as made during the famous Mason-Mo-
Carly duel, which afteTward resulted fatally
TO Mason, at Bladensburg, and wherein one
OF the PARTICIPANTS previously offered 10 the
other 10 "tie hands together and lump from
the dome of the capitol az Washington ~
Visitors crowded the dome yesterday. as
usual, and about l:30 p. NJ. some OF the
drivers OF the numerous equipages in wait
ing IN front of the building saw what they
thought the form of a man come from the
top to the base OF the dome. A man passing
along First street east thought some one on
the inside of the railing encirclinR the base
OF the statue OF Liberty had thrown over a
coat, or lost some other garment, prey TO
tho winds. Parties in the wings of the
building, looking Coward the center portico.
saw man disappear from the railing above
mentioned, and the various rumors draw
ing the attention of the Capitol police, upon
an inspection OF the roof over the eastern
portlco the dead body OF man
was found, and it was at once re-
moved to the room of the Capitol cleo
trician in the third story of the north
wing of the center building, where Coroner
Patterson held an inquest, with the follow
ing jury: s. 5. SmOot, foreman; A. L Co.
bright, James F: Dooley, L. n. Atherton,
@. NJ. Ford, Charles =. Draper Howard
French, +: A. Ward, C. NJ. Levy. p. n.
Allebsch, J. w. Westisll, and Z J. Parker.
The body, attired in plain but comfortable
clothing, was msngled
ALMOST BEYOND RECOGNITION.
The front of the skull was crushed over
the rear portion and the lower jawbone
jammed up into the brain, leaving the gums
with the teeth attached, protruding. Blood
and gore covered tie upper portion of the
body, which was apparently broken in sew
eral places, although no examination was
made. By iudicious handling on the part OF
the physicians present the features we're so
arranged as to bs recognized by an acquaint-
ance. On his ptrson was found fifty cents
in currency and a pawn ticket signed by
Heidenheimer, corner Pennsylvania avenue
and Thirteenth street, from whom some
clue was ascertained as to the name of the
dec eased. Finally the father of the deceased,
a man about sixty years old, appeared, and
recognized the body as that of his son, and
betrayed terrible mental suffering. He said
that his SOB, James McMahon, was about
twenty-five years old, had been studying
for the Catholic ministry in Baltimore up TO
last August, when be returned here on &C
count of his health, and has since been
working at the carpenters trade. He went
to work yesterday morning as usual, re-
turned home at 8 o'clock, and shortly after
left with a bundle since when nothing wRs
heard of him until the fatal occurrence. The
testimony of the other witnesses, Lewis
Burns, Mrs. 4. Wsllingford, and r. Walton,
referred entirely to the circumstances OF
HOW THE FATAL LEAP
was made, as follows: The deceased. who
assembled the various flights leading TO the
top of the dome, was unnoticed in the gen.
ing surrounding the tholus, on which is the
statue of Liberty, he quietly scaled the rail-
ing looking over the east portico, and sprsng
forward. In a second almost the body was
liieless on the ridge CT the pediment of the
east porticO, 1S5 feet below, mangled as
described above. The course of It's descent
was marked with blood, and it was so rapid
that no one who saw the occurrence could
say positively what balustrades, Tailings, or
pr jections the body struck, and il was evil
dent that the deceased intended to clear the
pediment on which he fell, in which case, If
no had succeeded, he would have fallen about
three hundred feet, and landed in about the
spot historic with presidential inangurstions.
The jury rendered verdict that deceased
"ceme 10 his death by jumping from the
| railing surrounding the tnolus of the dome of
the capitol while laboTing under temporary
alteration of mind" after which the body
was tHrned over TO relatives for burial. De-
| ceased was well known 10 this city for the
past few months as an industrious me-
chanic, residing with his father on n, be-
tween Fourth and Fifth streets northwest.
His two brothers, who are clerks in govern
mental departments, are well known in
Catholic literary circles Of the District, and
arc universally respected. Deceased was OF
quiet turn of mind and of perfectly sober
habits, which confirms the belief that his
tragic death was the result of temporary in
sanity. His funeral will take place to
morrow.