The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-11-24
KILLED TN AN ELEVATOR
BLANCao's TRAGIC DEATH IN THE
ODD FELLOWS BUILDING.

Gar Where 1t Had Lein over Twenty
Hours-supposed to Have Mistaken
the Elevator Door and Stumbled to
His Death Alone sunday Night-An
Investigation of the Accident to be
Held by the Coroner.
Charles F. Blanche met his death by
falling through the elevator shaft In the
Odd Fellows building some time sunday
night. Nothing was known Of the accident
until last night at o'clock when the ele-
vator conductor discovered the dead body
on top of the car just as be was about 70
start it in operation.
The elevator is always left standing
about a foot from the first floor when not
in use, and this is the condition In which
Fred Habersham, the colored operator, lett
il Saturday night when he closed the build
ing. At o'clock last night he opened the
first floor door and started the car down to
the level.
He noticed at the time that it
moved unusually heavy, butdidn't pay any
particular attention TO the circumstances.
AS he stepped inside to start for the top
floor Habersham noticed pipe bowl lying
on the floor. He picked it up and remarked
70 himself that things looked as II some one
had been using the elevator Sunday.
THE DISCOVERY OF TIE BODY.
Then Habersham looked up to the top Of
the car and saw the body of man lying in
a crnmped position. Jumping out Of the
elevator, he locked the door and ran into
the street to find policeman.
He met Officer Sam Davis and told him
what he had disco vered. The Of
ficer accompanied Habersnam back to
the hall, and ascending to the second floor
looked through the gratings of the iron
door. He saw at a glance that the man
was white, and dead beyond question, and
at once telephoned to tie barracks
Assistant Chief Killourhy rode TO the hall,
and, after seeing the situation of affairs,
telephoned for Coroner Dixon
Habersham had in the meantime notified
Janitor Heller and others in the lodge
room and library, and the elevator doors
were opened. The body was lying on the
top Of the car. but in the darkness il could
not be identified.
THE CORONER NOTIFIED.
The news that an unknown white man
was lying dead in the Odd Fellows building
eleval or spread rapidly. and when the coro-
ner arrived there was a crowd Of people
anxious to learn who the man was. Coro-
ner Dixon had the door opened, and with
his son, stepped onto the car and lifted up
the body. As the light shone on the dead
face. he remarked: why it's Felix Blau-
oho" Nearly everybody in the crowd knew
the dead man, and with an exclamation Of
surprise pressed up to gaze at the body. The
police had little trouble in keeping the
people back.
SMOKING WHEN DEATH CAME.
In his mouth, clinched tightly between
the teeth, was the stem of the pipe which
had broken off, showing that he must have
been smoking when he met his sudden
death. His eyes were partly open and as
Coroner Dixon laid the body on the floor
blood gushed out freely from a hole little
larger than dollar in the back of the head.
The elevator daorsill on the second floor was
spattered with blood, showing plainly
where Mr.. Blanche received the wound
which had hurried him into eternity.
Everybody wanted to know how the man
could have got into the elevator shaft,
as the conductor had stated there was no
way to open the door from the outside ex-
cept the first floor one, and he had the key
OF that in his pocket since Saturday night.
Assistant Chief Killourhy began at once
an investigation of he doors on each floor,
and found all tightly secured until he
reached the top floor.
FELL FROM THE TOP FLOOR
As he pulled the door there the lock
spraug and jumped open. The spring was
broken and this fact explained the mystery
Mr.. Blanche had fallen through the shaft
from the top floor q distance of about
forty-f1ve felt.
Death must have been instantaneous, be-
cause there wasn't trace of pain upon the
dead mans face. and his hands, which were
outstretched, showed that he had grasped
at nothing
Mr.. Blanche was seen alive the last time
at the sapper table in George Schwarz's
Congress street boarding house Sunday
night at O'Clock. The supposition is that
otter leaving his boarding house Mr..
Blanche went around to the Odd Fellows
hall, where he went almost nightly, on &C.
count of his connection with that order,
end after he reached the top floor he be-
came confused in the darkness and opened
the elevator door by mistake for the library
or one Of the other doors. Before he
could realize his position he had shot
through the shaft to his death.
de was man of very steady habits, and
was always in his room at 10 o'clock at
night except when attending a lodge
meeting
MISSED FROM HIS ROOM.
Mr.. Schwarz remarked yesterday that 1t
was strange thing FOR Mr.. Blanche to
have remained away from his room all
night and not come to breakfast. At
dinner, when he again failed TO put in an
appearance, a little uneasi0eSS was felt, but
some one suggested that he might have
gone to the brickyard and would be In for
supper The boarders had just sat down TO
supper when the news reached them that
DIR. Bl3ncho's dead body had been found,
Coroner Dixon took charge Of the body
and removed it TO his under aking establish
ment to prepare it for burial. he will hold
an inquest this morning to SEQ what further
facts he can obtain about Mr.. Blancho's
death.
When it became generally known, that
Felix Blanche, as he was usually known had
meet tragic death there was both surprise
and regret heard on all sides. The dead
man was wel-known by a majority of the
citizens, and waslextremely popular. Among
secret society men he stock high. He was
an ardent member Of many of the mystic
orders os Savannah.
GREAT SECRET RDERMAN.
Mr.. Blanche was past master Of Clinton
Lodge No. "a. F. A. M. and charter men,
Der of Forest City Lodge No. l, K. p,
being the first grand chancellor Of the order
in Georgia and the Oldest Pythian In the
state. He was also past grand Of Live Oak
Lodge No. 3, l. o. o. f., which lodge he
withdrew from to assist in organizing
Haupt No. So, after which he returned to
Live Oak; a member of Magnolia Encamp-
rnent No. /. /. o. o. F., and charter mem
Der of Yemassee Tribe of Red Men.
These orders will attend Mr. Rlancho's