New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-08-19
JUMPED TO HIS DEATH.
A PHOTOGRAPHER LEAPS FROM THE NEW WASH
1NGTON BRIDGE-HIS WIFE MADE IN
SANE BY THE NEWS.

SANE BY THE NEWS.
The first suicide from the new Washington
Bridge across the Harlem River occurred yeste.-
day afternoon, the actor and victim being Henry
C. Harrington, photographer. forty-three years
old According TO the police record, it just
l l5 p. IN. when some officers on strike duty
along the line of the New-York Central and
Hudson River Railroad observed something shoot
downward from the bridge and strike the water
causing great splash. No one seemed at first to
have definite idea what the something was and
more than spectator had a confused idea that
il was n dog few seconds later, however, the
outlines Of a mans body could be disccrGed in the
wafer and preparations were at once made TO
rescue the unfortunate man, but il was too late
Some quick work was done, indeed, and the man
was brought ashore in a short time, but he was
past mortal help from the moment he struck the
water The precise nature of the injuries IN
fictcd could not he ascertained last night, as no
physician had viewed the body, but it seemed
clear that death was not caused by drowning
but by shock or internal injuries.
As soon as it was perceived that il was man
that had fallen, Patroman Michael J. Owens, Of
the Thirty-iirst Precinct, started for the river,
and. after throwing off his hat. coat and Shoes
plunged in. lie quickly reached the man. and
succeeded in keeping his head above water until
Srgeant Donovan and Rouudsman Morgan came
10 the rescue in n small boat. The man was still
breathing when he lifted into the boat, al
though unconscious, but he dead before the
shore of the narrow stream was reached lie
had lcapcd from the parapet of the central span
and must have fallen nearly 100 feet.
The body was at taken 10 the High Bridge
polica station. and when the pocEcts were en-
1. 81 81
rington and also cards OF Falls and Dana, the
photographers, were found A policeman was sent
down to Faks establishment, on Broadway,
and word was also sent to Farringtons home, at
One-hundrcd-and-fort y-fourth-st. and Bradhurst-
ave Late in the evening Coroner Schultzc
granted permit for the removal of the body TO
the residence.
Farringtons relatives were not inclined to talk
about the affair but they asserted that they knew
no reason for the suicide. a policeman learned,
however. that ne had been sick Sunday night,
and when he walked out yesterday he SAID NJ
vns not going to work He remained away so
long that his wife went out 10 look for him. ana
when she returned she told that he was dead.
The shock was so great that her reason was
ovcrthrown. and her friends fear that she VIII
he permanently insane. He had been tIoubl'd
with heart disease, il was said, ana had heeh
unable 10 sleep the previous night lhlS Illness
Was the only explanation offered for his suicide
He was in the employ of Falk up to his dcath'
and was earning a good living. He was prac-
teal photographer but worked mainly 10 can
yas~cr 4 newspaper clipping in his pocket, ap-
parcntlv from Washington paper. referred 10
him in eulogis,ic terms and described his success
in eetiLna statesmen of national reputation 10 sit
for their portraits.
harrington was exactly fortY-threc years old
Yesterday l-ing his birthday. and he had been
married Little over three years. He leaves a
wife and two children, the elder hut twenty
months old. He was a handsome man. with
regular features and Il large black mustache lie
looked somewhat like Hebrew. His wife is a
.Icwc.s but ne was an Engshman and had lived
in this country but few years.
" hrn harrington was taken ont OF the water
blood va, ho"lns from his n's,tiis, ana ~
supposed that he was INJURED lh'"r.i"Iy. 5y ,n AI
AUTOPSY will probably be held to-day 10 determine
the exact cause of his death.
The WASHINGTON Bridge IS fourteen feet higher
than High Bridge, and somethng Ike MY Ic't
higher than the Brooklyn Bridge. several
workmcn were killed dnring It's construction, Dut
the police say no one has ever before trird L"
commit suicide from H. About year ago. a
palutcr fell while at work on II. but landed IN
soft mud and was able 10 return to work an hour
later
The fact that no ore saw harrington fall might
icil 10 Inc NUIiIilHf llltl lTlHhIN ' A''''''
accident and did not deliberately leap - ms
death The railing or parapct is too high - bear
ont such a theory however, and besides that, he
LETT his hat and umbrella on the bridge. These
were afcrwurl picked mp by Henry titcr OF
80 West IWcnty-thirdst..a and turned over 4"
the polcr Comparntivcly few people visit the
ucgliborhood on week day,. and no one even
knows whether Harrington lraped right ont from
the uarapri or hung down nnd dropped Now
that the fasl ION has been sci. however the police
nniicipaic that the bridge Will soon become a
favoritc haunt for persons bent on st-dcStructl"n-
The Washington Bridge has not Vet been form
ollv op,ucd To- the public. and sign ~ the on
trance warns people that they will use 1t at their
own risk The scheme for the bridge was origi-
u,I,y engineered on a real estate speculation and
LITIGATION has arisen which has prevented liS
formal opening II has cost the city already
more than 50 500. 900