The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-03-06
WEDGED By THE NECK
Terrible Death i'm the Pioneer
Building Elevator.
AcIRt AN UNWILLING WITNESS
Postmaster Nelson, OF Seabofds Tries
Go Fun the Elevator, Win
Fatal Consequence

.s--ssiA seeasea. happened in 'ha
esexatoY % shs Pioneer DssttdiSg A. 80
s,'cieck last evening. tae second OF TAG
ttn4 r., the history 81 that STRUCTURE
yyheras,y II. * Nelson. postsn&sief OF 80
fcsa, Kttgay county. had hts rsers erof. .a-
BY being wessged between the esesaEo.
aoar ard the Goor. when the body was
retssssd ~ terrfaass girl. Il turntsisd
hsasIeng 70 the bottom Of the saait ana
xsas arm further fnutiaatefi. The accisissAt
appears 20 have been due enFsreiy 70 s"e
.ss.s,fa own attempt 50 r0b the etesa9"i
without KNOWING Bgw so handle u.
s.ssas,u GANG 70 this city yesterday art
<rnaon IN a sloors which fas had Just pbF-
chased and which was hardiea ny g 'aaat'
rara@<s efunsss. lie transacted some O'lHi.
rse,ss and met Mr. Teilef, who returned
from trir, East during the MORNING ana
who h engaged 20 marry his danghiei'
About o'clock II. the evening he vent 10
ms Pioneer building. entered the elevator
and engaged In conversation Win
Thornugon, with whom he Ban ~eIi ae-
atiasnted b. reason or Thonpson's own
ins q ranch In Eltsap county adjoining
his own.
Nelson was accompanied by Heftie
fseraeson. younk woman whose parents
live Ia Kffsap county and who expected
10 go back with him on the .sioop
THOMPSON and Nelson engaged In q con-
yersatto1. over some Sunday schoo! htera*
tare which the Inter said he desired TO
secure for the seaboid Sunday school. OF
witch he was superintendent. ~ about
SIS Thompson ran the elevator UP TO The
fourth floor In order to light the hai gas
lie opened the door and stepped outside,
Nelson and the girl remaining In the eie-
water A minute had rot elapsed before
Nelson grasped the lever of the elevator.
Why he did II II not known. One story
told the coroner WAS 10 the effect that
the elevator had started 10 descend and
Eeison had seized the lever. intending To
stop H. The girl told several persons that
Nelson laid his hand on the lever as
coon as Thompson stepped out. with no
apparent reason for doing so. The mo-
menf he pulled the lever the elevator shot
upward Nelson then lost his head and
the door a. the fourth floor being open,
he attempted 70 jump out. AS he did SO.
the elevator floor approached the heavy
railing over the door. Nelson had just
got his head out OF the opening. and his
neck VAS caught and broken So tightly
was II wedged in between The floor and
the railing that the elevators flight up
ward was cut short.
The woman crouched Ia one corner with
terrorized look on her face. The aged
elevator man had spst III the gas and he
Ing up toward the top of the door he saw
the head of hts friend Nelson hanging out
through the wedge In which II had been
caught
Pull the lever slowly towards YOU" he
called To Miss Bergeson. She was excited
AMI pulled the lever rather suddenly
The elevator started To ascend. That re-
leased Nelson's body and IL fell out OF
the elevator opening struck the floor of
the fourth story and. the door being
open. IL took a peculiar twist and dropped
down the shaft TO the bottom In fall
Ing, Nelson's shoes struck the glass over
the elevator door on the third floor,
smashing II into numberiess pieces.
When the body fell the young woman
became excited. and gave the lever. a
push, which caused the elevator 10 shoot
upward 10 the sixth floor Thompson
climbed the steps and took charge of
tho elevator. The young woman was
completely unnsrvea. and soon after
wards left the building.
Coroner Askam was sent for. hut did
not arrive until 7:Sp o'clock. II keep; n
policeman busy In the meantime drfv-
Ing crowd of sight-seers away from the
elevator. which after the accident de-
scended To the first floor and tempo
rariiy stopped carrying passengers Cor
oner Askam. when he arrived examined
the body and found that the neck was
't'hth. also ppAEt legs. anu tEHt the face
bore several wounds. The chin had
sustained deep cash an inch IN length.
and front tooth had been Knocked out
The body Was removed 10 Bntterworth
q Sons undertaking establishment. In
the pockets OF the clothing were fouud
about 81 In silver and a few receipted
bills
Nelson Was very ordinarily dressed
lie had on cheap Euit OF clothing. a pair
OF heavy boots. . flannel shirt and a
short. light ovefroat. lie was a man an
parentiy about q years OF age, 8 feet ,
Inches In height His hair and fnustache
were light yellow.
lie was widower and had two daush-
tiers. one almost Il years OF age and an
tiers. one about Is years of age and an
at Seahoid for several years, and con.
Quoted small grocery store In connec-
ton With the Office. Coroner Askan,
could no, find Tcilef. the man who Is
10 marry Nelson's daughter. and Gulisct.
the man who ran Nelson's sioop for him
and II was supposed that they had re.
turned 20 .kitsap county to convey the
sad news TO the daughters OF the de.
ceased
coroner Askan announced last night
thar he would hold an Inquest at
O'Clock this afternoon