New-York tribune., 1901-11-12
PRICE THREE CENTS.
FALL KILLS MAY0-SMITH
MYSTERY IN DEATH OF co.
LUMBLA PROFESSOR.
SERVANT SAW HIM VANISH FROM WIN
DOW OF HIS HOME-WIFE FINDS
BODY IN THE YARD.

Under peculiar circumstances. not devoid Of
mystery Richmond Mayo-Smith. forty-seven
years old, professor of political economy III Co.
lunbia University. whose home was at No 800
West Seventy-seventh-st. was killed last night.
when he fell on the stone tagging in the rear
of his house. after fall of four stories. Pro-
fessor Mayo-Smith fell from one if his study
windows. Whether it suicide accident
appears to be somewhat of mystery The
police of the West Sixty-eighth-st- station say
they think his death was the result of an acct-
dent.
After every seven years of service the pro-
fessors Of Columbia University get a year OF
rest. Professor Mayo-Sr1ith was enjoying this
year of recreation He had been i'll. but not
seriously for some months. He lived with his
wife and four children. two boys and two girls.
the oldest fifteen years and the youngest six
years.
About o'clock last night the professor. his
wife and his daughter Mabel fifteen years old,
in his study, on the fourth floor of his
house. The professor remarked that he felt
tired and that he would lie down for short
while. The room darkened-
'AII right. dear" Mrs Smith said. Mabel
and I will go downstairs"
At 6:15 O'Clock the butler of the family, Paul
Gobout. had occasion to go upstairs. and while
there he looked into the professors study. The
moment he looked he dark form pass
quickly over the window sill and disappear
The only thought that entered the buffers
mind was burglars" He remembered tnat
once thieves had been operating in the neigh
borhood by means of rope ladders Much
frightened. he downstairs and told Mrs
Smith what he had seen. Mrs. Smith suspected
that something had happened to her husband.
and she ran to the rear yard. her action betray-
ing her train of thought She had suspected
rightly for on the stone pavement of the yard
was lying the body Of her husband He had
been killed instantly though a superficial ex-
animation did not reveal any wounds
Dr. Walter MendeIson. of No. I59 West Sew
enty-fourth-st was called. and was soon at the
house but Professor Mayo-Smith was beyond
aid The police Of he West Sxty-eighth-st-
station were informed and Detective Donohus
went the house
II was found that the professor in his fall had
struck clothesline. and this is mentioned in
accounting for the fact that several of his ribs
were broken Professor Smith only partly
dressed Friends and relatives of the family
were quickly informed A brother of the pro-
fessor arrived at the house in coach He took
the four children of the dead professor to his
home. somewhere on the East Side
After the departure of the children George L.
Gilham of No rs Greenwich-st sexton OF
Christ Church at Seventy-first-st. and Broad
way was called and the house practically
NIasea Tn his @haree Mr. CiIbam said that Mrs
Q
Smith could This MADE II dttfcuiC
to get authentic information concerning the
tragedy
Richmond Mayo-Smith had been professor or
political economy Columbia since 1SS5- He
was born in Ohio in 1871. and was graduated
from Amherst College in IS4|-
After leaving Amherst College Professor
Smith studied for two years in Berlin Uni
versty. While abroad he also was a tutor IN
Heidelberg University His connection with
Columbia University began in 1917. when he
was called to the university teacher OF
history The year following he was made an
adjunct professor, and in 1SS3 he was made a
professor OF political economy and social science
He was an honorary fellow of the Royal sta
tisticaI Society of Great Britain and a member
of the National Academy of Sciences He was
a writer on economic subjects, and the author OF
.'Emigration and Immigration Sociology ana
Statistics and Statistics and Economies
These works were published in 1890 1880 and
1899. respectively.
He was a member of the Century. University.
Authors and Barnard clubs and of the Amherst
College Association.
Mrs Mayo-Smith a French woman. Her
husband married her in 1881 At the time OF
his death Professor Mayo Smith was a vestry-
man in Christ Episcopal Church, Seventy-frst
st. and Broadway of which the Rev. DR.. jacob
s Shipman is pastor.