The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1901-12-03
Aged FitChburg Man Ends His Life
in Sensational Manner, ChooS-
ing Icy Waters of the Big
Stream for Final Resting Place
BODY RECOVERED
WITH DIFFICULTY
No Explanation is Given for the
Mad Act, Michael Dudley, the
Victim, Having Always Been
Regarded As industrious and
Perfectly Sane

Special to The Spy
Fitchburg, Dec. 2. 49, Michael Dudley
about 80 years of age, committed suicide
late this afternoon by jumping into the
Nashua River near Sheldon Street He
was seen going toward the river by Mrs.
Frank Peltier of ST. Main Street. She
notified officers Flaherty and Whittemore
that she thought something was wrong,
and they hurried to the river front but
were unable to rescue the man in the
water.
Lieut.. Irving was notified, and he pro-
cured a boat, and the officers grappled for
the body. After a short search the body
was hooked up and taken to shore and
removed to Sawyer's undertaking rooms,
where it was later identified, and the only
known relative of the suicide, a son,
Samuel who works for E. NJ. Dickinson q
Co.. was notified.
Medical Examiner F. H. Thompson
was notified and viewed the remains.
Dudley had been working for Cyrille
Dorias on the Richardson Road, about
three miles from the city. He left work
Saturday and came to Fitchburg. He was
considered perfectly sane, and no cause is
known for his mad act.
Medical Examiner F. H. Thompson
made an examination of the body of L.
c. Brown, who was the victim of the ele-
vator fatality in the Park building sun
day night, and found there was frac-
ture of the skull at the base of the brain
AS natural consequence of the terrible
pressure against the head, the face was
quite badly bruised and there was more
or less depression. The elevator is of the
plunger type and men from the works
have been making repairs there during
the past few days. That there was leak
which caused the elevator to descend by
force of its own weight was disputed at
the time of the accident by Henry Allison,
president of the bank, and to convince
him that he was in error a trial was
made at the bank building in the presence
of Mr.. Allison, Cashier Elmer Onthank,
the assistant ianitor and representatives
of The Worcester Spy and Worcester
Telegram The car was run to the titth
floor. the controlling lever placed in its
proper position and the elevator left to
its own devices. A full minute elapsed,
and then the car began to slowly move
downward and would have continued had
it not been brought back to the level of
the floor. A peculiar feature is that the
well of the elevator does not snow any
more moisture than is usually found in all
elevator wells where the system is on the
plunger type There will be an inquest
later on.
tionary engineer. died at his home 10
Pleasant Street at midnight Sunday after
an illness that confined him to his bed for
three months. The deceased was &c years
old. and a veteran of the Civil war, hav-
ing enlisted at Pittsheld in the lhlrtY-
first Massachusetts Regiment. He came
to this city q years ago, and, with the
exception of a seven years residence at
Hudson. has resided here continuously
He was employed by the Cllapp. Horn
Company at Leominster. Ihe tunerai
win he at 1870 a. m Wednesday, and the
burial will be at Hudson in the family
lot