The sun., 1878-09-08
DROPPED DEAD BY A COFFIN.
sTRICKEy WITH HEfRT DISEASE WHEN
ms work VAS ALMOST DONE.

An Old MAN. Hand Raised for n blow. n
Nail Half Driven, and - Life Put sud
denly Out-Dea,h In His Own Workshop.
On Thursday afternoon Matthias wilhelm
was at work. as he had Deen on any afternoon
Tor thirty years. making coffin. He WIS
old man OF "a. with long hair and a long NOUS
tache. both AZ white snow. IIo was Dane
by birth. but In middle age he came TO this
country. and finding the demand for such work
constant and fairly profitable. no has been n
coffin maker ever since. and out Of the neccssi-
ties OF tho dead has made for himself n
decent living. His companions say that he
was kind old man. that he nailed the parts OF
coffin together Justly. and that he never did
any harm to anybody The sound of his ham
mer in his old age was slow but constant and
arose in the morning among the enrliost and
ceased Mt night with the lntcst. He said little
but worked hard. everybody liked him. andt the
collins that he put together were almost innu-
mornble.
The shop In which tho old Dane was at work
on Thursday afternoon waa that OF Mr.. Stolts.
in tho Bowery. Not the front part. with plate
glass windows. whcrethc perfected products Of
the place, vevetcovcred and silver-handled
are attractively displayed; but the little shop
back. two flights up. where the collins gct thcir
first outlines, and where they appear in un-
hl'NH' llttu u b'u'U III ono ttIlltT lilf u ~
corner In the room. noXt TO an open window
overlooking broad cxpanse of tnrrrd roof and
forest of chimneys through which the brcczes
could cone blowing upon him IN the warm
seHson.
As Wilhelm stood at his bench on Thursday
afternoon all the tools necessary tp his work
were scattered about him, convenient 10 his
hand. The saw the plane, the draw knife the
glue pot. and hammer AMI nails were the i'm
nlem"nts which he principally employed. and
these were all WING upon his bench or hanging
in easy reach Just nbuve IL. Tho snaNings that
he had planed durlnglhc day made It thick car
pet under his feet he had hren fitting and
mailing sides on e. caskots, and pile ot these.
made Of white pine wood. ru-c in sumicirce
around him, like fort, almost 10 the raitcrs Of
Half n dozen OF the Danes fellow workincn
were busy In other parts ol the shop. Hammers
were striking, chips were lying. and there was
q strong smell Of glue. 1t WAS u few minutes
hcfor. I o'clock Tho sky without was clou1ed,
and the room was gloomy; nevertheless. ono Of
the coffin makers was whisting quick air.
another was singing and the sounds arising
from the brisk INSTRUMENTS madie, the place
rather cheerful than Otherwise. Wilhelm, with
bSsra Ing over ta@is52mR,etcd comm "A
to tic side OF his workbeneh. Wid be was fitting
and mailing side TO il. Nail after nail sank
mans n, hummer He had bent the plant side oi
tae G9hin Hr il,tls ny liHIT 9pd lo1g r9w Of
the base. There was but one more nail To he
driven, The old coffin maker passed his hand
ul'ilE nl7 ''Hlll'N''u Wplks 'HHlktl ms
hammer from his right hand To his left. and
in order to pick ont n good one Tor the last, lie
found one To suit him. turned IT over in his
palm once or twice IL IL were a pleas
Ing thing TO contemplate. set 1t 10 the
wood, md with a slight tap Of his hammer
drove II partially in. He raised his hammer
for another blow, but the blow was not given.
For an instant the hummer hung suspended
then the fingers which lhcld 1t loosened them
Tho Old coflin maker ieli with IT, iic had been
smtton with heart disease, and the last nail nut
half driven. his head sank back his eyes closed
and without u word no fell dead among the
shavlngs at the foot Of his workbench