The record-union., 1897-11-13
ACCIDENT OR MURDER?
DEATH OF FRANK j. ROBERT.
SON ON THURSDAY NIGHT.
Found Lying Unconscious on
Rear Porch and Died Few
Hours Later.

Hours Later.
Frank J. Robertson, a bartender at
the windsor Hotel, met with mlsnap
Thursday night that cut snort MS
earthly career and about which some
mystery hangs. The case was not re-
ported either to the police or 10 lHS
Coroner until yesterday morning, II not
being considered a case falling within
their province.
Robertson was found lying on pack
porch of 71S street about IL O'CLOCK
on Thursday night, having apparently
fallen from a platform connected Win
the upper story by a stairway. he
was nearly unconscious and the lett
side of his head was badly bruised ana
his face covered with blood. He was
barely able to tell his name, and that
he lived at the Windsor Hotel, and was
conveyed th6ther in a hack and put
to bed, dying about a. m. without
having regained consciousness.
From the back part of the hall OF the
upper story a door opens upon flight
of stairs that runs down to a platform
with a landing that is unguarded by
other flight leads down to the porch
attached to the ground floor. The sup
position of some persons is that in COM
ing down the first flight Robertson went
too far and walked over the edge of
the platform and fell to the floor be-
low, causing concussion of the brain.
from which he died. Some of his
friends, however, are inclined to think
that he met with foul play, the res
taurant next door, belonging to j. 3.
Shay, having been burglarized at about
the same time he met his death.
Mrs. SCHNEIDER, who lives at us J
street, heard some one pass through the
hall and start to go down the back
stairs. She heard no fall OF unusual
noise, but about IL O'Clock, on going
into the hall, she heard some one moan
ing down below. She went to the head
of the stairs and asked what the mat
ter was, but the only reply was anothes
groan. She repeated her question, and
just then a man came out of the back
door of the restaurant next door, and
saying that he guessed it was some one
who was sick, ran down the stairs AMI
went out into the alley. AS she sup
posed it was some one connected with
the restaurant, she thought nothing OF
the matter She called for help, and
a female friend came to her, and, pro-
curing a light, they went down and
found a man with his head bruised and
his face covered with blood lying near
the sink below the end of the platform,
where a door opens into the Cooper
Music Store. They asked him what
and when they asked him what his
name was, he mumbled out Robert
SON. and in response to a question as
to where he lived he said Windsor
DR.. Bainbridge, who rooms in the
building, had come to the spot, and
they tried to help the man to walk, but
it seemed to hurt him to lift his feet,
and they carried him over near the line
between the two buildings and placed
him in a sitting position until hack
could be sent for When the hack ar
rived he was taken to the Windsor Ho-
tel and put to bed.
Peter Flaherty, proprietor of the
Windsor Hotel, was seen by a Record
Union" reporter and told what he knew
about the case in his usual straightfor-
ward manner He said that he had re-
Heved Robertson from duty at 9 o'clock
in the evening, according to CUSTOM
and that the latter in company with
A. Calderwood and F. J. Schimar start
ed down the street and went as far as
Fourth When the three men got bacl,
TO Seventh street it was after 10 o'clock
and Robertson told his companions he
was going to call on DIR. Bainbridge
Accordingly Messrs. Calderwood and
Robertson passed down Seventh street
presumably on his way to Bainbridge's
rooms.
At this point Mr.. Flaherty stated that
Robertson was a great friend of Dr.
Bainbridge and frequently visited him.
After Calderwood and Schimar had
been back about half an hour, Mr.
Flaherty said, a man named HAYDEN
came in and reported that somebody
had been hurt in the alley between
Seventh and Eighth streets, and K
and one Of the men present went out
to investigate, but returned in a few
minutes and said nothing was wrong.
A short time afterwards, Mr.. Fla
herty said, Mrs. DIR cambridge entered
and told him that Robertson had fallen
down stairs and was hurt Mr. Fla
herty Immediately ordered a hack sent
to bring in the injured man.
Mr.. Flaherty here made the state
home when Robertson called. and that