New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-02-22
KILLED on ELEVATED TRACKS
AN ELDERLY MAN CRUSHED AT THE
CORTLANDT- ST. STATION.
STORIES ARE CONFLICTING AS TO WHETHER HE
FELL. OR JUMPED TO THE TRAcKs-HIs
RIGHT ARM Is CUT OFF AND

RIGHT ARM Is CUT OFF AND
DROPS TO THE STREET
A we-dressed man. who said he was Lormin
Netter. sixty years old. of No. 2OI West
Eghtieth-st.. was so badly injured on the Sixth
ave elevated road. at Cortlandt-st. yesterday
afternoon. that he died soon after reaching the
Hudson Street Hospital. a number of passen-
gers from a Rector-st train. who were waiting
for train for South Ferry. on the plat
form about p. M. when the man either fell or
jumped i'm front of the engine Of the South
Ferry train. which was pulling into the station.
Stories conflicting as to whether the man fell
or Jumped TO the track.
There was a cry of horror from the passengers
as the mans body was drawn under the engine.
stopped. The injured man picked up by
the train hands and laid on the station platform.
1t found that his right arm had been cut
off al the shoulder and had dropped through to
the street. When a surgeon arrived with an
ambulance from the Hudson Street Hospital.
he bound up the wound at the shoulder and then
took the man to the hospital. Nettcr was con-
scious and gave his name and address to the am
bulance surgeon and Captain Westervelt. of the
Church 81. station. He died in the hospital a
few mnu'cs after & O'CLOCK
The police report OF the case. witch is based
on the statements OF the engineer the ticket
chopper and the switchman. who was stationed
a few yards south of the station. says that
Vetter jumped in front of the engine with
suicidal intent. but a young man naned Peter
O'Neil. who picks Up living by carrying bag
gage for elevated road passengers bound for
the NewJersey ferries said last night that two
witnesses Of the affair told him that Beather
had slipped on banana peel the train APP
preached the south end Of the platform. where
he was standing, end had fallen headlong in
front % the engine. which was about TO be
brought to a stop. The ticket-chopper said that
he had noticed Vetter get off Of a Rector-st.
train with number OF other passcr gers. who
waited to take a train for the Sbuth Ferry
The man he said stood about twenty-five feet
south of the chopping-box. lie was not intox-
Gated. AS the train approached Netter. the
chopper said he saw him climb the steps ana
jump in front OF the engine.
No money was found in the victims pockets,
but he had In his possession number or caris
Of Brooklyn saloon and restaurant keepers;
three cards OF n lawyer. Herman :. Butler, saw
ings Bank Building. Stapeton. Staten Island;
the card of Gottlob Eisele. No. 4OJ West Thirty
eigbth-st.: a small silver watch attached to a
handsome chain made of a woman's hair. ana a
piece Of paper on which the following was writ
ten: NO of Bank Book Blocker Street Bank,
No. 61J62 721: Seamen's Savings Bank, No.
1919"
Gottlob Eisele called at the hospital last
night ard asked u he allowed to the body.
After examining it he told the night clerk that
he could not identify the dead man as even an
acquaintance. How he came by his card he
was unable to tell.
Vetter was identified by his son William and
b. Or. Arthur F. Fife, of No. 10 West l0th-st.
the family physician. who had been 10 Police
Headquarters to search for Mir Vetter.