The evening world., 1894-03-05
LAY DEAD IN A lot.
Body of Common Pleas Clerk Coe
Found Near His House.
Probably Stumbled and Fell from
the Sidewalk.
Had Been Court Attnchc for n
Quarter of Century.

The dead body OF Joseph Il. Coe. Clerk
OF the Court OF Common Pleas. was
found in vacant lot at the southwest
corner Of Fifth avenue and one Hundred
and Fifteenth street at 625 o'clock this
morning.
The body was cold when discovered by
Policeman James Nolan, OF the East
one Hundred and Fourth street station.
Life hnd evidently been extinct for sew
eral hours
The body lay on pile OF rocks at the
bottom of steep decline. twenty-five
feet below the surface of the sidewalk.
There were no marks to indicate foul
play. excepting an abrasion on the fore
head over the right eye.
The police scout the idea OF violence.
and declare that death was accidental.
At "A point directly above the body the
fence surrounding the vacant lot was
broken. and 1t is surmised that Mr.. Coe
either stumbled and fell against the
fence. or else la leaning against it. 1t
had given way and he had falicn
| headforcmost, as the position in which
the body was found seemed to indicate.
| upon the rocks below.
The clothing of the dead man had evi-
IDENTIFY not been molested, as valuable
a small sum of money and other Valua-
bles remained in the pockets.
The body was removed to tndertaker
Duny's shop, 1872 Third avenue, and
thence taken to Mr.. Goes late home.
Mr. Coe was fifty-one years old, and
had been clerk in the Court OF Common
He lived at is West One Hundred and
Fifteenth street. and leaves n widow and
six children. four sons and two daugh-
ters. one or his sons. Edward NJ. Coe.
] | lrpl nd
Fifteenth street, Is also clerk in the
Common Pleas Court. Another son is a
doctor, who resides in the Brewster fats.
the building that was erected short
time ago by Mr.. Coe.
From the windows of his sons reci-
dence in the Brewster flats the body was
llinly visible At daybreak this morn
Ing. 1t had. 1t Is said. been seen by a
servant in the household, but. believing
II to b. some unfortunate who had tum.
bled into the dangerous hole the servant
Illd no further attention and passed nc
remark until the family short time
later had been notified that Mr.. Coe's
dead body had been found almost wthir
the shadow Of his own home.
!. The neck had been dislocateG In the
fall, and death must have been instan.
taneous; Aside from this injury and the
small abrasion on the forehead. nothing
else was discovered by the police, VIII,
made an examination of the body at the
statiOn-house
The family of Mr.. Coo agree with tn,
police in the theory that death was the
result of accident. The fence surround
Ing the vacant lot Is rotten and almost
useless as n protection to persons pass
ing by. and the police say that numerou:
accidents have occurred at the place dur
. ing the Winter months.
r William Kelley, "a clerk of the Court o
. Common Pleas who for eighteen year
. has been associated with Mr.. Coe, sale
this morning:
1 II saw Mr.. Coe n few minutes after l.
: o'clock last Saturday afternoon. At tina
time he was feeling i'll, and suggested
. remedy.
He said he would try it. and ther
r walk mp Broadway.
: His financial affairs were in excel
lent shape. and he did not have an en-
$ emy living.
+ His death was purely accidental"
/ Mr.. Coe served in the Navy on tn
D gunhoat Monticello. and was u rambe
, of the Lafayette Post, c. A. r.. He wa
Superintendent of the Lexington Avenu
q Baptist Church Sunday-school and yer!
I popular.
e Dr H. d. Coe. examined his father
= body at IL o'clock today. Subsequently
e to an Evening World'' reporter n sal
= there was nothing to indicate that dealt
I had resulted from violence.
"My father" said Dr. Coe. has ha
numerous attacks of vertigo ! have n
doubt he was seized with "A tit while re
lirning home last night and fell int
the hole"
r Mr.. Coe was lawyer. but hal no
practisel since he became court clerk.