The evening world., 1894-06-22
JUMPED OFF
The BRIDGE.
Unknown Man Plunged Into
the East River at
Noon To-Day.
CLIMBED FROM A WAGON.
Tore Away the Handrail on the
South Side and Leaped
to Death.
FREIGHTFLOAT PASSEDOvERHIM
Policeman Smith Says He Was Of
Medium Height and Wore
Glasses.
FREIGHT FLOAT PASSEDOvER HIM

At 1215 o'clock this afternoon an un-
known man jumped from the Brooklyn
Bridge and was drowned.
Policeman Smith reports that at that
hour a man of medium height, who wore
spectacles, dropped to the roadway from
, wagon passing along the south drive
way from New York to Brooklyn and
started towards the cable.
It was right In the middle Of the
bridge where the cables swing low.
Smith ran shouting towards the man.
but no attention was paid to him.
The stranger tore away the fimsy
hand rail. climbed to the cable and
eprang out into the air.
The body turned over and over in its
with a great splash.
Before the man could show whether he
had strength enough left to struggle for
bis life a railway float passed over him,
followed by a large propeller.
When these vessels had passed. nothing
was to be seen Of the jumper.
Spectators describe the jumper as a
young man about twenty years Of age.
Of stout build. about feet inches in
height, smooth shaven and dressed in a
black cutaway coat and vest. light
trousers and Fedora hat.
Ernest Knausman, a truck driver OF
lS5 Twenty-second street, Brooklyn.
while entering the New York entrance
OF the bridge was accosted by the stran-
ger and asked for permission to ride
over to Brooklyn on the truck.
Knausman told him all right. With
Knausman on the truck were George
McDermott. of 235 Seventy-eighth street.
and Thomas Kavanagh, Of 290 Twentieth
street.
After the stranger got on the truck he
took off his coat and held 1t over his
arflNs,RYhen the truck was just about
the c, tire OF the bridge he took Off his
hat and threw 1t away.
Then he slipped off the truck. waved
his hand and turned as II to say some
thing to his companions on the truck,
but changed his mind.
As quick as a cat he climbed up the
outer railings of the bridge and bal
ancing himself for moment on the
top guard. plunged wildly downward.
Knausman and his companions, when
they saw the young man throw his hat
away and start for the bridge railing
did not suspect his purpose for moment,
and called to him that he had left his hat
behind.
When they saw him climb to the top
of the railing they were powerless to
stop him.
They reported The fact to the Brooklyn
Bridge Police Station in Brooklyn.
The men on the truck stated that the
bridge jumper had the appearance of a
tramp. After the man jumped from the
bridge they searched his coat pocket
and found cheap necktie. some to-
bacco and matches.
There was nothing to tell who he was.
Tc-day's jumper is the fifteenth man
to make the leap into a nondescrip
fame or 10 death from the big span thai
connects New York and Brooklyn.
Steve Brodie, whose jump seems tc
have brought him more substantial profit
than that of any of the others, and who
now wears Il. j. after his name ir
honor OF that event. was the pioneer
successful leaper In this peculiar form OF
exercise.
His jump was made from point
near the New York side on July %, 1856
Previously, though, two men lost their
lives in making the jump.