The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-08-16
HIS LEAP TO DEATH
UNKNOWN MAN JUMPS FROM THE
ROBERT STREET BRIDGE AND
BROWNS.
TWO PEDESTRIANS SAW HIM.
AK
HE CLIMHEDN ON THE RAIL.
Poised AIS SECOND AND
FELL.
tnif 81
WASN'T SEEM IN THE DARKNESS.
49, 5
Police Drag the River, But Without
Misunderstanding to Show Who
( He Was.
TWO PEDESTRIANS SAW HIM.


An unknown man committed suicide
by jumpingw from the Robert street
bridge at $3.50 O'clock last evening.
The bridge jumper, with suicidal in
tentions, was seen to climb on the
rail and after pause Of about an in
slant threw himself out from the
bridge and down into the water dis
lance of eighty feet.
The alarm was at once given, End
those who witnessed the jump hurried
to the rail and peered over, but the
darkness prevented anything being
seen, and the only sound was that OF
the swell waves, as they struck the
side Of the draw, caused by the strik-
ing of the unfortunate's body
Joseph Casey, of 1T Fairfield avenue
and his sister, Tessie Casey. were
crossing the bridge to the West side
about $50 O'Clock. When about fifty
feet from the center span of the bridge
they were surprised to see a man run,
as they supposed, from the east ide
of the structure and climb on the rail
The man, they say, wore a del by
hat and seemed to be dressed in lark
clothing. He poised for an instant on
the top of the railing and len jumped
off into the darkness. i33th witnesses
of the affair were for the moment G m
pletely stunned, but as soon as posi-
BILE they ran to the place and looked
over into the river. There WIS 10
sound, and Mr. Casey shouted out
about man having jumped over the
bridge.
Patrolman Hurley, of the HUcas
street station, hurried to the scene
and a search about the spot where the
man jumped resulted in the finding Of
coat and pair of shoes which lay
close to one of the large supports to
the span Of the bridge 1t was evident
that the man had stepped into the
shadow of the post and taken off his
coat and shoes and then ran to the
west rail of1tt the bridge. This move
ment was whabied Casey and lis sis
ter to suppose the man '.ame from the
other side of the bridge. The light on
the bridge is. not very good and no
very accurate description of the man
could be given either by Casey or his
sister, except that the man wore a
derby hat l@Ca-1
The coat, (which was taken to the
Ducas street station, was a heavy
brown freise of cheap make and had
10 mark that would be of any use in
identifying The wearer. In one of the
pockets wasra cheap cotton handker-
chief without any laundry mark. In
another pocket six pears and a piece of
candy The shoes found with the coat
were a pair of No. 5 congress CATERS
well worn, and the shape of the foot
wear would indicate that the wearer
had a large bunion on each foot The
fact that Casey thought the man had
on a coat the police say, would indi-
cate that he wore a dark shirt and the
fact that his coat was off was not no
ticed. The police from the Ducas street
station took a boat and made a search
of the river in the vicinity of the
bridge, but found no trace of the body.
Patrolman Hurley, in speaking of
the suicide last night, said he would
not be surprised If the man was the
same one that he arrested some three
months ago for disorderly conduct.
The fellow, who seemed to be slightly
demented, gave it out that he intended
to commit suicide, and to prevent him
from doing the act from the Robert
street bridge Hurley arrested him. He
was sent to the workhouse for thirty
days and when arraigned in court
gave the name of Alexander Sanders,
although he said ait the time that this
was an assumed name.