The Portland daily press., 1894-09-19
A SICKENING SIGHT.
A Suicide Plunged From a Train in
New York
WHILE II WAS CROSSING A HIGH
TRESTLE.


Through the Air He Struck Telephone
Wires and Checked His Fall-He May
Live But He Fell Hundred Feet.
. New York, September 1S-It was miracle
| that Charles Otto Hickman, of No. 5SS East
10th street, was not instantly killed and
frightfuIly mangled yesterday. He jumped
from moving 'sL'' road train as it rounded
the curve, more than one hundred feet
from the ground, at 1l0th street, from
Ninth into Eighth avenue.
The principal witnesses to his attempt at
self-destruction were John J.. McManus of
No. 506 West Forth-eighth street; William
A. O's 'shaughnessy of No. 293 Rivington
street, and Jan es Mcdonnell of No. 10S
East Eighty-eighth street. Their state
ments agree substantially.
Hickman boarded the train somewhere
down town. He was dressed like re-
spectacle meo hanic, and at first there was
nothing remarkable in his manner. Later
on, however, it was noticed that he had be-
come nervous and restless. Before the
trains enter the curve at 10th street they
slow up and go around the bend very care
fully.
Hickman got up from his seat as the train
began to slacken speed. He was sitting in
the last car of the train. He went toward
the rearsplatform and opened the door. The
guard on the front platform noticed him.
and shouted, Hey, no ones allowed to
stand on the rear PLATFORM
The man paid no attention, but opened
the door, walked on the platform and with
out look behind, pulled open the iron gate
at the right and jumped.
JUMPED FROM THE PLATFORM.
Beside the track is a platform, about two
feet six inches in width, with hand rail
outside. The platform of the car is quite
high and therefore Hickman had no diff
Guilty in clearing the intervening space and
the rail. Over he went, swiftly, while other
passengers crowded to the rear after him
shouting and excited.
About fifty feet below the track telephone
and telegraph wires are strung. Upon these
Hickman struck upon his breast, smashing
several and making the others bend in
bunch. He swayed for moment, there was
rebound and then he pitched off head
fremost. Twice he turned in the air before
he reached the street, which is paved.
There were men and boys in the vacant
lots who saw him dangling on the wires, hut
bu6y COulu AOt lSl1 uOW LIE otIuSh bac
EARTH He must have fallen on his side for
his back Is uninjur ed. He probably turned
over on his back, for he was found in that
position.
One of the men ran to telephone and
turned in call to the Manhattan hospital.
at 13lst street. The reply was prompt, and
DR.. Winston quickly saw the man was
seriously injured. When first reached by
the persons in the street he was unoon-
scious. DR.. Winston had him conveyed to
the hospital, where, in an hour or so, he
was able to give ahIs name and address. A
second examination, showed that several
ribs were broken aHdstheright lung pierced.
The physicians saw that he was in danger
of death and sent to his family.
HE WOULDN'T TELL WHY.
Hickman refused to say why he jumped
from the train, and the LIP roadmen
characteristically denied all knowledge of
the affair.
Mrs. Hickman had not learned of what
had happened. Her husband had left home
at six o'clock in the morning to go to his
work at Warmers furniture factory in
Washington street. Hickman is a cabinet
maker, ,and:h has had steady employment for a
long time. For month or two he has been
more or less i'll. He is not know whether
he had malaria or grip, and his wife wished
him to go and see doctor.
He went to the factory as usual yester-
day, was unable to contin ue at work and
started to go home. Mrs. Hickman said
he had never shown signs of insanity, but
she though he had suffered yesterday from
pains in the head which unbalanced his
mind temporarily.
MIS- Heckmans sister said that while
| they were poor they were in no financial
| or other trouble. Hickman is a smember of
| the Robert Blum Lodge, No. l, of the
Kranken UntersteuZungs Verein. He came
to this country from Germany when four
| teen years old.