St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-05
KILLED BY ELECTRICITY
How an Italian Was Stricken in New
York.
FELL FROM THE WINDOW
he Grasped an Electric Light Wire
and Received His Death
Stroke.
Naw York Tribune


light wires was added yesterday to the
them in this city. This time 1t was an
Italian bootblack who received the fatal
shock. He was Bastino l. Paldo, TWEEN
ty-four years old, of No. 65 Mulberry
street. For five or six years he has had
the privilege of keeping a bootDlacking
stand under the steps of the building at
No. 1877 Broadway, for which he cleaned
the windows and did other odd jobs
around the building. A few minutes
before 5 o'clock yesterday afternoon
Paldo was ordered by the janitor to
wash the windows of the Interstate Ma
tional bank, which is on the first floor
of the building, just above 1.-The
Buffet Lunch" ROOM, which is on the
ground floor. Three lBrge electric
light wires run into the building from a
pole which stands in front of Benedict'S
jewelry store, No. 1863 Broadway. About
three feet from the window which Paldo
was washing the electric wire ende in a
porcelain spool. to which is fastened a
guy wire used for keeping the electric
light wire taut. The wires carry ing
the current into the building are joined
to the main wires just above the porce-
lain spool, and run into the building at
nearly right angles to the main wires.
Paldo stepped out onto the narrow
ledge which runs underneath the Will
dows, with his pail of water and brush,
and began to clean the windows, as he
had done every Saturday afternoon for
several years. Something attracted his
attention in the street. He turned
suddenly, and in doing SO lost
his balance. TO save himself he
reached forward and blindly grasped
the first thing that his left hand
touched. 1t was n of the large cleo
trio light wires. The current Was
turned on to its full force, and the
Italian fell forward. His left foot
slipped from the ledge, striking one of
the wires which carry the current into
the building. A loud cry attracted the
him. They saw HIM bend down for an
instant, then straighten up and fall di-
rectly forward to the sidewalk below.
His eyes were wide open when he fell,
but when the nearest person reached
him they were closed and he was dead.
The body struck the top of the short
flight of steps which led down to the
LUNCH room, and rolled down to the
floor within a few feet of where Paldo's
5oot.blacking chair stood with the
brushes and backing ready for use.
In a minute there was a crowd of sew
eral hundred men and women in front
of the building, eager to get a sight OF
the dead man, and it was more than
the solitary Broadway policeman could
do to keep them back out OF the way.
He was Joined by other officers, who
were attracted by the people running to
+,a coAt ctrofohar yrnC nhtojnnA
and the dead man was taken to the
Church Street police station to await
the arrival of the o and friends.
On the Italians face, as he lay IN the
station, there was not the slightest in
dication that his death had been a pain
full one. On the other hand. his cOunte-
nance was as free from any expression
of pain as it would be if he were asleep
or dreaming of his Italian home. The
work of the fatal wire is plainly visible
on the left hand, which has a heavy
black mark across the palm. Paldo
wore a heavy pair of boots, with sOleS
half an inch thick. Where his foot
rested on the wire for an instant only
the sole is burned through.
Frederick fridge, the janit0r of No.
161 Broadway. saw the accident. He
had Just left his work in this building,
anu was WdbClliIlS UlO SiOoLA lS
windows. He made a statement to the
police and the reporters last evening,
which was as follows: 81 was watch
ing the bootblack clean the windows
aud saw him turn suddenly and look
toward the street. AS he did so he
slipped, and as he fell he grabbrd hold
of the wire. His foot struck one of the
wires that run into the building. l
heard him cry out and then saw him
lean forward for an instant. He straight
ened up, and l thought he must have
recovered his balance, when | saw him
falling sideways into the street."
Sergeant Delaney saw Paldo just be-
fore he fell. "His face had a terrible
look" he said, land I will never forget
it. The eyes were wide open and he
seemed to be appealing for help. Be-
fore | could get to him he pitched for
ward and fell almost at my feet
The police, the firemen andthe janitor
said that the wires belonged to the
United States Illuminating company,
but at the down town station OF the
company in Liberty street no n could
be found weO would either deny or con-
firm this.
Paldo has a brother named Arsenic,
who is a stevadOre at Pier No. SO, North
river. The brother came with an I'M
dertaker late last evening to take the
body away for burial, but the coroner
had not made an autopsy. Paldo leaves,
besides his brother. a blind mother in
Italy, to whom he sent his savings.
Paul D. Crovath, the attorney for the
United States Illuminating company.
was iii the crowd who gathered around
the spot where Paldo fell. He thought
that the accident would have been
averted if the wires had been under
ground. He said that the company was
ordered by the board of electrical con-
troll some time ago to put its wires un-
foreground. The conduit for this pur-
pose was now in course of construction,
and the wires of the company all along
Broadway wereto be placed in it within
two months.