Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1894-06-24
JUMPED TO DEATH.
FATAL PLUNGE FROM THE HIGHEST
POINT ON BROOKLYN BRIDGE.
He Fell Twirling Over and Over to the
Water 1876 Feet Beiow-Body
Not Pound.
fNew York Herald.l

a man Jumped from the brooklyn
bridge into the East river on Friday. but
whether he was a senseless seeker Tor
notoriety, as many of his predecessors
have been, or was simply intent upon
ending his lie. may never be known. for
he sank from sight in the waters OF the
river, and II Is improbable that his body
Will ever be found and identified.
Three men were near him when he
made the fatal plunge. but none OF them
knew him, and the few articles OF cloth
ing that he left behind furnish no clew
TO his identity.
II was few minutes after u O'Clock
that Ernest Knaussman, truckman' OF
No. ls5 Twenty-second street. Brooklyn,
drove on the bridge at the New YORK
entrance Three men jumped upon his
truck TO ride over to Brooklyn, ana as
two OF them were friendssof knaussmah'
he made no remonstrance. The two whom
he knew were neighbors or his, George
". McDermott. Of 26 Thirty-second
street, Brooklyn, and Thomas haFahash'
OF go Twentieth street.
The third man was a stranger TO all
Oh tDtHls anu Nhfy I''N
TO him, as 1t is not unusual for men 10
take such lifts across the bridge. They
saw that he was a young man, about
20 years old, Of medium height, ana
stout build His face was smooth shaVeh,
and he wore eyeglasses.
The weather was warm, ana the
stranger Invested himself OF MS coat
throwing 1t on the bottom of the truck.
with the remark that he guessed ne u
be better off without it"
JUMPED FROM THE HIGHEST PUNT
He showed no desire to enter into CON
versation with the others on the truck
and his further actions were unnotlceu
until the truck had reached the centrai
point OF the bridge, where the roadway Is
highest above the river.
Here the mans hat either blew OF or
he threw IL off, and when he jumped
down TO the roadway to get 1t knauss-
man continued TO drive on.
When Knaussman looked back again ne
saw something that made him brlhs
his horses TO sudden halt The Stranger
had climbed up TO the top OF the ran
ing along the roadway overlooking tho
river. and with a single wave OF his hahds
TO those who had just been MS COM
panions he plunged downward.
HIS Cf1OTt WIS 10 Sv Ifib iVi'''N-N'
In the mart of a second his body was
twirling over and over, and when he
struck the water, 1875 feet below. he was
fat upon his breast and stomach
FIOATED FOR A FEW MOMENTS.
That much the men on the truck saw
and then they cried TO Policeman John j.
Smith, who was on the opposite ROADWAY
helping to patch up broken GOWN
wagon. Smith hurried across TO the point
from which the man had Jumped. ana
when he looked down he saw tne
STRANGERS body, which had come TO the
surfate. From the way 1t foated II look
ed as if the mans neck had been broken
IL was visible for only few moments
and then Glen Island steamboat ana
railroad float and tug passed over H.
Policeman Smith telephoned TO the
Bridge police-staton. in Washington
street. BROOKLYN. and the sergeant In
charge dispatched a squad or men 10
the river front to find the man. II posi-
BILE. But he was far beyond the fear OF
arrest or the hope OF succor.
The suicides coat and hat were taken
to the police station. The coat had been
of good material, but was BABY soiieu
and frayed about the edges. In the pock-
ets were found a paper of tobacco. box
Of matches, a worn-out neckte. ana
few other articles, none Of which furnish
ed ANYTHING that would in any way as
slst I'm establishing the suicides IDENTITY.
The hat was black, soft felt. ana was IN
much better condition than the coat. Ac-
cording TO the men who were win MN
on the truck. the man had worn trousers
OF light material.
The police believe that the man was n
tramp who had tired Of living, and had
made certain Of killing himself either by
the fall or by drowning. He succeeded
beyond peradventure of doubt.
THE FIFTEENTH JUMPER.
This Is The fifteenth man that has made
the plunge from the Brooklyn BRUCE
Some of the others were:
Robert Emmett Odlum. professor OF
swimming. OF Washington. ID. c. He
Jumped on February p, 1856. and was in
stantly killed
steve" Brode says he jumped on July
%, 1856, and escaped without injury. Evi-
dence that he really did jump is lacking.
Larry" Donovan, a printing-press
feeder. Jumped on December %. 1886, and
was picked up all right. He was killed
later by jumping from a bridge In Eng
land.
A half-crazed German named Koch at
TEMPTED to kill himself by making the
plunge In 1888 but was fished out alive
Joseph Burns. of Staten Island, also
tried to commit suicide by jumping IN
1883. but was picked up and served SIX
months in the penltentiary for II.
Francis McCarry jumped on November
%. 1885 His body was never recovered.
There were three jumpers about year
ago. John j. Mulrenin jumped of on June
18th. and landed on the roof OF one or
the stores in Front street. lie Is buried
in Potter's Field. The next day John G.
Haggerty Jumped, and simply got wet.
Two weeks later Thomas Mccarthy,
Brooklyn bartender. leaped from the
highest point of the northern roadway,
Just opposite from where the stranger
Jumped yesterday. Mccarthy lived. and
was sentenced to a term in the peniten-