New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-11-09
Is THIS GUARD A MURDERER I
A FATAL FALL FROM AN ELEVATED ROAD
DEATH TO THE PASSENGER RATHER THAN y
RREAcu on TILE coMpANY,s RuIEQ

DEATH TO THE PASSENGER RATHER THAN 4
BREACH OF THE CoMPANYs RULES.
Philip Baer salesman for Rosendorf q Co.,
furnishing goods, No. ~ Walker-st, who lives
at No. 313 East One-hundred- and twenty -frst-st,
last night fell from an elevated train
of the Second-ave line near the Canal
and Allen sts. station. and was In
stantly killed. Mr.. Baer left his place
of business a few minutes before o'clock and
got to the Canal and Allen sts station about
eighteen minutes after o'clock He was in .
hurry to get home, as his wife and family wcro
waiting to be taken to the Lexington Avenue
opera House, where the Raymond Literary and
Social Society were to have an entertainments
and ball.
AS ne reached the stairs train pulled up 90
the station. 1t had just been run on the up
track from the side-track and was nearly empty.
ME- Baer rushed at full speed up the stairs
AT the tclsct-seller's window he was delayed for
moment while he got change for a 81 bin.
Just as he started for the cars the conductor
pulled the engine bell TO 90 ahead. and Mr..
Baer ran toward the rear end Of the train All
the gates had been closed and the train was in
motion He caught hold OF the guardraiI on
the front OF the rear car and swung himself on
the platform outside of the gate which was
tightly closed.
THE BRAKEMAN INTERPRETED.
brakeman stood on the platform, and as Ma
Baer tried to open the gate the brake
man ordered him to get of, and
stepped close to the gate so that ID could
not be opened. Mr.. Baer was persistent and clung
to the guardral He told the brakeman that he
was in great hurry and that it would be great
accommodation If he would let him on the train.
The brakeman replied that it was against the
rules of the company to open the gates after the
train was in notion and that be would forfeit his
position if detected. Mr.. Baer told him that he
had seen numbers Of people get on the cars at
this station after the train had started during
the busy hours bat the gatcman was proof against
all arguments and ordered Mr.. Baer to get of.
The train had increased in speei while the men
had been talking, and probably before Mr.. Baer
aware of the distance it had travelled during
his excitement the car reached the end Of the
platform, where there is safety-rdil, which ex-
tends t, within few inches of the front side of
the platform and leaves only a narrow space be-
tween it and passing train Mr. Baer struck this
rail but was knocked against the gate instead of
of the car and was in this way carried past the
obstruction. He was certainly injured by the
blow, though to what extent is not known, and
clung desperately to the gate.
Under these circumstances it seems as 1r the
brakeman should have relaxed a little in his de-
voton to the rules and have saved Mr.. Baer's life
but he obstnatcly refused to open the gate, and
after going about fifty feet beyond the station
Mr. Baer became faint and swayed to and fro with
weakness for a second, and with cry Of horror
his fingers slipped from the gate and he fell head
long into the street The train went on uptown
and when it reached the station where Mr.. J}aer
usually got off il passed by Mr.. Baer's son, who
waiting for him there.
Several people saw Mr.. Baer fall and ran to his
assistance. His face covered with blood and
he breathed with great effort. An ambulance
was quickly called from Gouverneur Hospital,
but before it arrived Mr.. Baer died, aud his body
was carried by two policemen to the Eldridge
Street Police Station.
The money that he had in his hand was found
scattered near the place where he struck when he
fell. In his pockets S75 and memorandum
of an election bet of hat with Solomon Leon,
of No 225 East One-hundred-and-t twenty y-cighth-
ST. Mr.. Leon was found at his home by police
man, and Identified the dead man as Mr.. Baer.
Word was sent to the dead mans family, and
his father and uncle, who in business in Har-
lem, hurried to the police station and made ar
rangements for the removal of the body.
Mr. Baer was twenty-eight years old, and had
been with Rosendor; & Co. for eighteen years
He was a member Of several societies in Harlem,
and leaves wife and three children. At the
elevated railroad station nothing was known
about the accident, so the officials said. and the
name of the brakeman could not be learned.