The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-06-06

About II o'clock yesterday morning
a man probably five feet six inches
tall, wearing a black moustache and
shabbily dressed was seen hurryine
along at the foot of West North Tenn
pie street toward the bridge across
Jordan river. Upon reaching the bridge
he climbed onto one of the piers and
plunged into the waters of the muddy
stream. The waters closed over him
and also locked the scent of the mans
identity within its bosom. for up to a
late hour last night the suicide was
counted among the unknown.
WAS A STRANGER.
From the actions of the man it is
fair to presume that he was almost, if
not totally a. stranger in the city.
AS he walked along the street to-
ward the White bridge, as it is called,
he accosted Mrs. Morgan, who resides
at % South Tenth West and asked her
about the distance to the river She in
formed him that it was but a. block
or so. Thereupon he ouickened his
pace and upon reaching the bridge took
a last glance of the surroundings.
Then he assembled one of the piers and
SAW THE FATAL LEAP.
William Morgan, a 15-year-old lad
was nearby at the time and saw the
fatal leap. He rushed to the scene but
before he got there the man had sunk.
Once he was seen to come to the sur
face and plucky young Morgan plung-
ed into the water to save the drowning
man, but on account of the swollen
.Of a CT nd
current it was not within the boys
power to render any aid. William
got to the shore again and hailed Mr.
and Mrs. Arthur Frewin who were Just
passing in a buggy. They went down
along the bank of the river and no
ticed the man rise a second time a con-
siderable distance below the bridge
Only his feet could be seen and it was
then evident he had lost consciousness
POLICE NOTIFIED.
The police were notified shortly after
wards and Captain Donovan, Detec-
tives Sheets and Janney went down in
the patrol wagon. There were no indf-
cations of where the body might be
found. Owing to the recent rains the
river is up to the top of it's banks and
the water is very muddy. The officers
returned to the city and provided them
! selves with graphing hooks. These
were used in an effort to locate the
body, but without success. Officers
! Sheets and Janney with a, party of
men went down to the river and the
bottom was thoroughly dragged but
nothing was brought to the surface
and the search was given up late in
the afternoon. The body has undoubt-
| edly became lodged in the sandy bot
tom of the stream and the only rem
| edy may be to use giant powder.
! Otherwise the body will float to the
| surface in a few days.
! The suicide is described as a. man
! about 40. years old, of rather heavy
build. A man answering his descrip-
ton was observed near the bridge last
1 Thursday by some men in the employ
of the health department. He was very
sfabbily dressed and appeared despon-
dent During the day he made several
| trips to the bridge and would stand
| peering into the stream for several min
utes, then walk leisurely toward town
only to wend his way back to the
! bridge.
The mans peculiar actions created
some comment at the time and some
of the men ventured the remark that
he was intent upon ending his exist
ence by jumping into the river.
Chief Pratt said last evening that
he does not think the search for the
| body will be resumed today, and thus
the river Jordan may forever hide the
identity of the unfortunate gone to his
death.