New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1894-09-18
no LONGER A MYSTERY.
ALI. FOUR OF THE PLAINFIELD MEN
WENT OVER THE CLIFF

TWO cRAwrED INTO \ SHED AND WENT TO
SLEEP oXE MANAGED TO REACH HOME
AND WENT TO BED. AND THE OTHER
LAY 1xsENsrBLE WHERE. HE FELL
THE Esd OF \ DRUNKEN SPREE
Tho friends Of the four mon who were thrown
over the cliff the mouniainside near fIaih-
field on Sunday morning are wondering how 1t
vv.s that they were not all killed AS 1t is. two
-, tba,, are 80 badly hurt that ii was impossible
rr the doctors last night to tell just how serious
their injuries were The two men are Thomas
Roddy. who livcs In Spooncr-st.. and Walter H.
Leland Of Central-avc. They are both suffering
from severe bruises and internal injuries The
other two men, William Dean and John Quick
were also cut and battered. but in some miracu-
Ious way escaped serious Injury. Quick was
badly cut about the face and head and the hesh
was torn from the hand to the elbow OF MS
right arm. Dean was severely shaken up pu'
was not suffering much yesterday ana THINKS
he will be able to go to work IN day or TWO.
DR. NJ : simpson OF Liberty-st. who is at
tending Roddy said that when the wagon went
over the Elm ne evidently landed on his head
and shoulders They are terribly bruised, and
,hore is also an irritation Il the spine which Is
the serious part Of IT, The doctor will not per
mil any one TO see Roddy, and thinks that II
ne Keeps quiet for a few days he Will pun
through.
Leland. the other badly injured man. is at his
fathers house in Central-ave. He is member
of the firm OF George H. Leland brother'
plumbers and gashtters. II was dlf'icut 10 get
a true version OF how the accident occurred II
was not reported the police. and they knew
nothing about 1t. Friends Of the men also tried
to keep II from becoming known.
George X. Leland. the father OF the injured
man. said last night that there was no use III
conceallng the truth about the affair. lie salu
that he believes that the four young men, III
Guiding his son. were more or IesS i'.u w. 60,
They had had several drinks around the town
on SATURDAY night. and at last one OF them pro
posed that they take ride. The four men 'ii','' @
drove 10 n hotel over the mountain on 'hT vu, ,
skirts Of Panleld. where a dance was p'Inh
held From what Mr.. Leland could CLEAN. the
party arrived at the hotel about midnight ihey
INDUCED in several drinks ana lei' the nov. I
about | o'clock on Sunday morning. nat 'ooN
place after that is hard 10 find out But the me"
drove along the mountain road on thclr way
home and Just as they reacned wilson SUI
crusher I'm the notch in the mountainside' tne
hnrsn either took fright and away or the
men deliberate tey drove over the clifr Inc wagon
went rolling down the mountain SIDE WIN lhs
men In IL. The horse Droke from ''c 'iii''' anu
did not go over -. -.
the wrecked wagon at the bottom on the cIiit an"
thcn tried 70 help their companions. lney man
aged TO get Leland his feet but could 40
nothing with Roddy. Although they were drunk,
they discovered that he was seriously hui' 30
they covered him with leaves ana lei illn 10
his fate Sore and bruised. Gulick and Dean
hobb,ed off TO some nearby she'd ana taere went
to sleep. Young Leland in some way managed
To reach his home In Plainted during the TlEh''
and letting himself into the house with his night
key went 10 bed II nothing had happened
Roddy lay as If dead Just where he fel lor
hours About o'clock in the morning W. NJ
Demler who keeps hotel near where the acc,
dent occurred was walking along the road ana
noticed that the guardrail on the sidc oi the
wagon track was broken. He went 10 tne piace
and was Mortified on looking over the clh 10 see
a shattered wagon on the rocks below Inihk-
ing that serious accident had happehei, ~
Roddy lying on the rocks. He also noticed Mt
Iolands name painted on the wagon body' anu ,
knowing that he couldn't carry Roddy on ms
back he hastened to Mr. Leand's house ana 'o'u
him what he had fouhd ,,,
Mr.. Leland. his son Edward. and Charles Han
quickly drove to the place. They found f'ouu!,
and lifting him into the wagon drove paCh ~
the city. Roddy taken to his home ana ana ur NJ
Simpson was summoned Then II was thst WI.
Leland discovered how his son waiter hau pee"
The horse which escaped injury, Is owned ar oy
Constable s c. Taynor. He was away FROM
home on Saturday night and the amman was
taken by the young men from his staDe.
Dean. one Of the injured men. gives tnls YER
sion Of how the accident occurred. he says
that they were driving along the r%oau, % dho tho
just as they reached the DANGEROUS part ,rhen eeo
breeching straps OF the harfess es NM about
the the imr horse'e head The driver pulled on the
wrong rein and crowded the horse ana wagon sn
nm against the frail railing The strain was @ ~
araat that the railing broke. and the wagon
Srsat Went ov"r sn the cliff As all the men were too
drunk to Jump. they went with IT, Al , the oo,, Doc
TOM ~ the ciifY Dean found himself under one
r,ha.I % tho wagon and Leland was under the
other. Dean says that he pulled Leland 1qs
Of the wreck but remembers nothing more "e
must have gone to sleep. ,, ,,oo,,.r M
DIR. Simpson says that he could alscovei '. ,,o ho
evidence Of liquor Roddy when ne saw Wdrnl MN
after he was brought home on GU Suhusi vbv they
,nr None OF the men could say why .",
had left Roddy lying all night on the rocks sat at
the bottom OF the cliff. and 1t Is though I"t 20
the story that they were TOO intoH'.a," .r,,e one
realize the nature Of his injuries is true o"e'