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.
FREIGHT FLOAT PASSEDOvER HIM
Policeman Smith Says He Was Of
Medium Height and Wore
Glasses.
FREIGHT FLOAT PASSEDOvER HIM

At 1915 o'clock this afternoon an un-
known man jumped from the Brooklyn
Bridge and was drowned.
Policeman Smith reports that at that
hour IA 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.
1t 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 hlmsy
hand rail. climbed to the cable and
| sprang out into the air.
The body turned over and over in its
descent and struck fiat upon Its stomach
| with a great splash.
Before the man could show whether he
had strength enough left to struggle for
his 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
l5 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 23j Seventy-eighth street
and Thomas kavanagh, Of 2sO Twentieth
| street
After the stranger got on the truck ht
took OF his coat and held it over his
| arm. When the truck was just abuu
the centre of the bridge he took off his
hat and threw It away; .,, ..,
his hand and turned az II 10 say some
thing to his companions on the truck
but changed his mind.
AS quick as L cat le climbed up the
outer railings of the bridge and bal
| ancing himself for a moment on the
top guard. plunged wildly downward.
knausman and his companions, wher
away and start for the bridge railing
lid not suspect his purpose for moment
and called TO him that he had left his hat
When they saw him climb to the tor
OF the railing they were power!ess +
They reported he fact to the Brooklyn
Bridge Police station In Brooklyn.
| The men on the truck stated that tho
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
Steve Brodie said ne believed the mar
was the same who called upon him early
to-day and asked some questions rela
tive to bridge jumping. He describes
the man as being about five frrt eight
inches tall with sandy hair, ana wear.
ing eye-1 1laSseS
To-day's jumper is the fifteenth man
to make the leap into IA nondescr!p
| fame or TO death from the big span thai
connects New York and brooklyn.
| Sieve BrOie, whose jump seems L
have brought him more substantial prof
| than that of any of the others, and who
now wears Il. j. after his name IN
| honor OF that event, was the pioneer
successful leaper In this peculiar form O
| exercise.
His jump was made from poin
| near the New York side on July 23, 1856
| Previously, though, two men lost their
lives In making the jump.
| Tho let Df nrpNiOug iumpprg follows.