Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-02-22
THE FALL WAS FATAL.
BREAKING OF AN ELEVATOR ROPE
CAUSES LEON TRUEMAN's DEATH.
H,i. Dashed Forty Feet ani Dies in Three
Minutes, without Ever
Speaking.

reon G.. Trneman met his death In a
shocking manner yesterday morning At the
pr,aiing.oiGcc OF William Ellis Jones, Esq
where he was an apprentice
$ 6ta ousr,er to II O'Clock he was at work
,rYbe n. d fl,or of the building in the most
,,,sriui snd buoysnt spiris and with the
busbt-st hopes for the future.
4 few minute. later he lav on bench on
go .rornd floor in the cold embrace OF
death. and hi. soul had been ushefed into
The presence Of his Maker.
Tbo pews q the accident spread rapidly,
and m IS minutes large aud anxious
crosd had assembled In front Of the print
iny.oNre, which IL on Twelfth street oe-
tween Main and Cary.
4 tclephone essage was immediately sent
10 the almsh0use a1G smother for Dr. koss'
and IN few MINUTES The Two physician.
we're on the spot. bar their services were oi
no avail, for deaih had c'iined us yicilm'
HOW II OCCURRED.
Tie deceased was employed In the com.
nnsine,roam. and % was bis business 10 as
sl.i sbe foreman. Mr. Noel. Ia haodIing the
forms. rherc Tas sixleen.page bJok-form
10 be sent down 70 the pre's-Toom, and II
being hght Leon put ~ in the dumbswaiter,
or elevator. by himsen. BEFORE putting IN
form an iron bar s always llaccd under tue
elevator 10 keen II from starting down d.
recfi, the weight IL pat on II. Alter ihe bar
nd Teen takcn out Mr. Noel stepped On the
uniform 10 zee II thfre was anything 70
cause the elevator 10 hang, and finding
everything In proper order he step
pod hark on the ilOor aud told
the Young man n pull the rope ana
send the waiter down. The weight OF
the form bflnc insufficient 10 start the
waiter Ou ils downward course Leon teppeo
on Il, snd. NJ. Noel thinss, Jumped 80 as 70
give thc machine an impetus. In the Twink
bag of an eve the rope by which the "sitef
was ororafed snapped about eighteen iDches
above the cro.a-ICam around when u vas
fastened. and The elevator shot 20 the Dase'
mcnt - the house, distance ot aDou,
fOriY-Gye feet, carrying the routh WIN u
aud burl,ng him into ETERNITY. Hn
what momentum the machine sped
an ts do.uward course may be- better I'M
sgircd than described. Justa few icci above
the street nO0r tGCre Is large glass windo"
in one side ol The elevator opening ana tols
va, broken with Such a crash that the
oDera l,cs iu this IOom thought the back
wall % the Office had fallen II Is supposed
that THIS hreakAge Was caused 10y concus'ion'
e. the door Opening IN tni- room was tlghlly
closed aud there was q LARGE volume OF con-
fined air. II may be-. however, thN the
vouug mans feet struck tue glass and broke
H.
uE NEVER sP0FG.
Everybody ~ the building Immediately
rushed 10 tuis put oi lhc house, and the
terrible truth soou dawGed upon them. The
door WIS ouencd and the body tenderly
lifted up 10 the Office floor and placed on a
bench m the most comfortable position pos
.ible. Messrs. Charles Cawson aud Charles
UsrdTlcke, who were the 6rst 10 take hold
OF the bodv, said 10 the Dispatch reporter
that u was lyu 2 across the cross beam ot
the elevator, with thc besd down and resting
on the side OF the box, and the iect piolect-
ing no MO The air. This position Of The
body would seem 10 indicate That when the
deceased stepped uto the elevator he swung
no on the cr0ss.beam instead of Jumping on
The 0oor. as Mr.. Noel thought or else the
reb uBd wbcu the waiter struck the base
ineut Do1r tbrcy the body INTO ;his position.
The Young man did not ,pc'k at al, nor
did be show any signs 81 c0nsciousn"-s.
After a lev motions Of the mouth as though
swatlowink there was not the slightest move
ueDt OF a muscle in the bOuy, aGd In about
three minutes toe heart ceased 10 beat. The
fop Of the skull Wa crushed, and thcte was
d hqa cui on the let arm, but no other ln-
iuries ha1 been discovered when 'he body
was removed 10 thc residence OF the mother
of the deceased, Mrs. CoieWan, on Filth
street between Clay aud Leigh.
30 INoUEsT.
Coroner Tavlor was summoned. and after
inspeciing the surrounding and hearing toe
statements uf NJ. NOci and others, he decided
that il was not necessary to hold IN Inquest.
fle made al examination of tue broken
rome. which j. about an iuch ami hall IN
dianlctrr. and 70 seemed 10 he perfect, so FAR
o., he could judge. but thr fact Of iis breHb-
ing with less tbsu $50 pounds ~h,n It should
have carried 2.O0O pounds IN safety shows
That the material was not good.
AnOtucr young man lAr. Lacy ieli
through This same opening some months
AGO. lie accidentally stepped hnek into The
hold and fell o. the basement floor but was
uot seriously burt. ilc cntir'lv recovered
from the Injuries bere received, but was
subsequently, killed m an accident on the
Richmond and Allegheny shiitlng'tracks at
thc loot of Lghth street.
This elevator was not DESIGNED 10 De
useI Tor passengers, nut for carrying mate
ua,s. &c.. from one floor 10 another.
PERSONAL.
Leon was the Youngest son Of the late
Csuiain William 2. Trueman, and was six
teen wears old hast JGge. lie was for loug
t,me employed IN toe speclaldeliscry Ne-
pertinent ~ the Il chmOnd post-oilico. but
had been with Vf Jones since last >eplem'
ler. lie wa. brother oi Mr.. W. Cabel
Trueman, proprietor of Ihe 'n''c' hoo
..,r.o u 1ruetuan. T,u lie was hand
some. manly. aud Intelligent youth. aud was
,cr, popular. Nolcd for his poIitcnes' 20
everybody with whom he had any Geal-
inc.. be won the respect and esteem oi all.
Among his assoriatcs IN the printing oilice he
was "a f,yorile. sod botb Mr. Jones and his
foreman ,av that they never had a boy to
give more thorough saiislaciion'
The funeral will take place from the rest
dcnce ~ Mr.. william T. Coleman. No. bOi
north Fifth street. Of 4 O'Clock this after
noon.