New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-09-25
CRUSHED BY A HEAVY STONE.
KILLED IN FRoyr OF THE EDEN MusEE.
Az opynmyr OF ruE BrupvG v.rcuRErY

Az onvAMrSr or THE BUILDING GV,rcuRELY
FAsrENrD-DANGER ~ \ CROWDED STREET
From midday until dusk Twcnty-'hir-st. be-
tween Fifth and Sixth avcs. IL usually throneed
wish crowds of persons. principally ljdies intent
on shopping. who are attracted hy the many dry
good stores i'm this quarter Yesterday was no
exception to the rule Indeed. the hne weather
and balmy air had enticod more poop'" th1n usual
to take an afternoon stroll. About 20 quarter 10
three o'clock the south side Of the street
was don,rlv crowded but on the north
side the 4idewalk was compamt. Hly cl"ar few
children were studying the lthnu1phIc present
mont of Sitting Buli displayed orf-Id' the Ed"n
Musco and stray patron or woof that establish
mcnt qlunterod inside tho highly oultc building
with ,ts rather rococo Stone front of late French
Renaissance architecture. from Che ilag.poles
rising above the low two-storicd trout duttord
SOME gay bunting tho strong bfo0f' cauHing tho
hnllAtda 10 whip about a. though they woro II
thin tVnc. lino~ tty-hnltod mau ol middle
age with % sheht atoop IN hIr 7h1uldof' wa
slow lV pacing pint suddoulS thoto wa crash
cty from tho startled chidtrn. thud upon
thr pavement, sputl of something rrd and warm
against tlc marble steps of the butdns, and ihon
q rush of people from across tAr street uniil a
large crowd Wa, surglng in front ol the entrance.
In their midst lay huge mass of sculptufci stone,
human 4cmbancc had been crushed.
II took some moments before the bystanders
could comprehend exactly what had happened.
glance ar the front OF the Eden Nlu-,e however.
showed that one of four pedcstal- above the cor
nice was empty The other three we've surmounted
still by the carved vase finished By a pyr-
amidal ornament peculiar To the style
IN which the building is designed.
That which had occupied the vacant pedestal lay
on the ground, the two hundred odd pounds of its
weight having crushed the life ont of the unfortu-
nate gray haired man who had just before been
passing The excitement was naturally intense,
but for some time move was made 10 raise tho
stone and ascertain whether there We're any faint
chickering's of life in the body which lay on the
pavement. At length a couple of policemen came
up They at once took measures for the removal Of
the BODY. as II was by this time evident that life
was wholly extinct. The crowd slowly dispersed, but
throughout the afternoon little knots of curiosity
mOngers scanned with gloatlng eyes the evidences
which showed where n fellOw-creature had IN an
instant passed from life 10 death.
Cuuously enough. there was comparatively little
sHF inside me Muse ltsei. ne NII'us "I OIIfhi,
bach and Strauss from the band WITHIN mingled
with the expressions Of pity from TIE crowd out
side, and the suppressed shrek of one or other OF
the richly dressed women who after pressing eagerly
forward As though AZ a theatre caught sight Of the
chastity heap stlll Gulverlng on the pavement IL
was not until they had gone the round
!
and emerged into the open air that the visitors
knew what had happened. The dead man was
found to be John K Gardner a thogrlp pher, who
lived with his wife al No. 2G6 West twenty first
81. Mrs.. Gardner. who was completely Ennerved
10y the shock SAID last night that her husband left
home at midday 10 look for employment, as he had
for some time been ont of work.
There seems 10 bee some doubt as 70 how the stone
Was caused To fall. but 1t Is generally supposed
that a halilaTd OF one of the tag, got IN some
manner twisted around 10 aud tho strain caused
by the force Of the wind caused II TO toppe over;
/ Had the stone been properly secured this would
/ never have been the case, but an examination
showed that lr bad not been dOWeic to lts base bv
q long enough iron rod rs should have been the
case. WOrkmCn were occupied during the
mainder of the afternoon in securing the other
final, and making them thoroughly safe. The wife
/ of the unfortunate man was last night visited by
the manager OF the MuSoe. who has under
/ taken 10 secure fitting burial for
her husband. lie lmS also promised
look after the needs OF the widow who l. left en-
lIrell .tstI-ute.