The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1891-12-02
NOT MUCH Light YET
On the Death of Conductor
Lewis at the Airing
ton Flats.
POSSIBLY FELL FROM THE ROOF.
Only Thirty Minutes After His Az
rival the case Was Reported
at the Station House.


1t is at present impossible to surmise
the real causes that led to the death OF
Conductor Thomas q. Lewis. of Easton,
Pa, whose body was found almost lite
less on the roof of a one-story structure
at the lower end of the stem of Y
shaped court yard in the rear of the Ar
lington fl ats at York and Warren streets
just before ten o'clock Monday night.
There are at least twenty families oc-
cupying the Arlington flats. A more in
teresting place for such tragedy could
not have been selected on either side OF
the Hudson River. The Y-shaped
court yard is labyrinthe of
iron rallied balconies and suspension
bridges, from the stone flags, not only of
the Arlington flats, but OF the Academy
of Music and The new Thayer building
that fronts on Montgomery street. 1t is
the rear walls of these three buildings that
form the Y-shaped enclosure, and it was
at the bottom of the lower end of the
stem of the Y that poor Lewis body was
found. Above, for a distance OF about
fifty-fve feet, rise the grim, balconfed
walls of the three buildings alluded to.
On the roofs of these three buildings
are board walks. with ratings alongside
and squares rallied in, wherein the occu-
pants of the upper floors hang their wash
ing Two stairways lead up to the. roof;
one from Warren street, the other from
York street. The York street stairway
leads up to the Academy roof.
Mr.. Hough, whose name has been con-
nected with the affair. is that which leads
up to the Academy roof. On each floor.
near the elevator, are doors leading out
TO balconies that run along the rear walls
of the Warren street side. The stairways
sides lead directly to the roof.
A stone coping, about three feet
in length and about twelve inches wide,
forms the lower end of the Y-shaped en-
closure. One of two things is certain
either Lewis fell from this coping in at
tempting to cross from the Academy roof
TO the Warren street side OF the
attempting to lower himself from
the top balcony to the one below.
An iron bar extending across the lower
end of this Y-shaped enclosure is terribly
bent, and as it was not bert before the
tragedy occurred. there Is not much doubt
that Lewis, in falling, struck this bar.
THE FALL HEARD.
The Wilson's, " no were nearest the door
leading out to the balcony on the top
floor at this point, heard door slam and
few moments afterward heard the thud
which Lewis body made when 1t fell on
the tin roof below. This was on the
Warren street side of the building.
Mrs. White and her daughter, who live
on the floor below the Wilson's, who were
quoted in one of yesterdays papers as
saving they heard noise just before the
fall of Lewis body which led them to
believe that one party was chasing
another. denied the statement to
Air. loc nir Wnf
said the noise on the balcony above made
them think one of the elevator boys was
skylarking with another boy. Miss White
heard what she thought was the Slam
ming Of the door opening on the balcony
above. But she thought 1t was
some minutes afterward before she heard
the crash, which proved to be the fall of
Lewis body. This would make 1t appear
that Lewis, finding himself baked at the
end of the top corridor by the closed
door leading to the Thayer building,
hesitated before attempting to lower him
self to the balcony below, or else went on
up stairs to the roof and fell in attempt
ing to walk across the coping that leads
one to the roof of the Academy.
DIR GRAY's STATEMENT.
DIR. GRAY, who was called soon after
Lewis body was discovered. says that
Lewis skull was fractured at the base,
and his right leg, was broken in
several places. His derby hat,
He was fully dressed. even to his over
coat. This fact does away with the sus-
pfcion that he was surprised in anyone's
apartments.
ONLY THIRTY MINUTES.
Train No. 1856. Pennsylvania (No. Lee
high), of which Lewis was conductor, ar
rived at the Pennsylvania depot at 9:23
Monday night, eleven minutes late. The
accident was reported at the First Pre-
cinct Station house at 9:55 p m. by the
janitor of the Arlington flats. Making
all due allowances for the
ianitor's delay in the excitement of re-
porting such an event, and the walk from
the depot to the Arlington flats, it will be
seen that Lewis could not have been in
the building but very few moments at
Was he attempting TO reach the War
rem street side from the York street front
by the stairways without being seen. or
did he expect to meet some one on the
woman a maD, and In his
excitement fell while attempting
to walk the coping which forms che bot
tom OF the Y-shaped enclosure. are ques-
tions that all the occupants OF the airing
ton flats are discussing freely.
Lewis was in the habit OF visiting the
house. He usually assembled the York
elevator.
Neither Mr. nor Mrs. Hough could be
seen by Il NEWS reporter last night, but
Mr.. Walter H. Conover, brother OF
Mrs, Hough. said that Mr.. and
Mrs. Hough were at home
when the neighbors raised the
alarm that man had fallen
from the roof He himself told Mrs.
Houph not to be excited. He knew her
10 he so nervous that she could stand no
excitement. He went down into the
street and identified Lewis while Lewis
was in the hospital ambulance.
The theory suggested by finding gravel
Lewis, showing that ne IeM from rom
that that workmen have been engaged
the past few days s. rem removing YIN .,.ass the
tor from the roof, and they may have
Knocked down the gravel and disturbed
the usual appearance of the SURFACE OF the
coming at the top of the stem end OF the
Y shaped court yard