Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1900-09-18
Colored Boy Killed at the Ballingal
Hotel.
HAPPENED EARLY SUNDAY MORNING.
Was Caught Between the Top Of the
Elevator Gage and the Top Of the
Door Leading Into 1t on the Floor
Below.
From Mondays Daily.


ed early Sunday morning at the Bal
lingall hotel by being crushed between
the top of the elevator cage and the
top of the door which leads into the
elevator on the floor below. His back
was broken, one leg was fractured ana
he was otherwise fearfully squeezed,
altho not mangled. Nobody saw the
accident and no one heard him cry out
except one OF the other porters VINO
claims that he heard him groan, altho
this may be q mistake. II the theory
evolved as to how the accident hap
pened is correct, Johnson's death was
largely due to his own carelessness
coupled with a probable ignorance OF
the fearful results of an accident with
an elevator. Johnson's mother, who IS
widow, has been notified. This
morning, John Johnson, of keosauqua,,
the boys grandfather, arrived In the
city and took the body back to keo-'
sauqua for burial. Coroner Powell
empaneled jury consisting OF John
r. Mccoy, J. p, Tutwiler and Joseph,
House to inquire into the manner OF
aeath, but adjourned the session until
tomorrow, when the evidence OF DE-
A. o. Williams, who was called when
the accident happened, will show that.
the boys leg was fractured, his back
broken, and that his countenance
showed that he has been subjected to-
fearful pressure.
johnson was about 81 years of age
and had been employed at the Balm
gall as porter but few days. About
l2:45 o'clock Sunday morning he was
sent upstairs to answer call and RODE
UP in the elevator. He did not return
within q reasonable time and Bert
Summers. the night clerk, supposed
that fuse had burned out in the mo-
tor which furnishes the power for the
| elevator, and that the cage was be-
tween two floors. This had frequent
" happened before and Mr.. Summers
went to the basement and found that
the fuse had burned out. He put in
another and endeavored to start the
machine but 1t would not move. The
second fuse burned out and he put in
heavier one. The cage was started
downward and when near the bottom,
he saw the boys arm hanging over
| the edge of the freight platform. He
Immediately stopped the machinery
and Investigated, finding that
! in some unaccountable manner
/ Johnson had been badly in
j jured. DR.. A. o. Williams was
hastily called and upon arriving found
4 that johnson was dead. The body
was removed to the undertaking rooms
of McIntire & Sullivan, where Coroner
| c, G. Powell held an inquest this fore
noon. t...
The theory evolved by ]. G. Man
4 chester as to how the accident hap
pened shows that the situation must
have been peculiar. The elevator has
two platforms, the lower one being
i used to convey freight to the upper
stories and the second platform fol
i, passengers, which was the one tha'
johnson must have used. He eyi
j, IDENTIFY entered the cage on one of thu
. upper floors, and going to the cable
!, on the opposite side Of the cage, start
!, ed the machine and turned to close thu
| door. BY this time the elevator hat
!. fallen several feet, or until the top Q
! the cage was few inches above tn
level Of the floor where he entered tn
! cage. He must have reached up t
, close the door and in doing so his arr
must have been caught between tn
side of the cage and the wall. He wa
evidently held In that position unit
his body struck the top of the door O
the next floor below and the top Q
the cage descending on him crushe
his life out. At this place the heav
/. iron bar on which the door rolls bacl
! ward and forward, was bent outwar
|. and broke the glass in the transon
4 the two being but a few inches apar
J. When the clerk placed the new fus
q in the motor and endeavored to stal
i the machine, Johnson's body evidentl
i was wedged In the position just ind
a Gated. But upon starting it in the o.
: posite direction it became disengage
and upon reaching the second foe
rolled out Of the cage thru the ope
q door and bounded back onto the foe
i. of the freight elevator, where 1t wa
q found. The accident happened Will
;, the elevator was descending and coul
!. hardly have happened in any way OF
6. er than that described by Mr.. Ma
), chester.
= A WONDERFUL CURE OF Dial
"a RHoEA.