The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-12-27
FELL TO HIS DEATH
JOHN E. DEMPSEY MEETS TRAGIC
END IN ESCAPING FROM BURN
ING BUILDING
AN IMPRovIsED BRIDGE SNAPS
was in His Office in Washburn
BufIding-Attempted to Cross to
Adjoining Roof-Body
Horribly MangIed.

John E. Dempsey, printer and long
a well known figure in ST. Paul, died
last night at $3.50 o'clock as a result Of
fall from fourth story window OF
the Washburn building, on Fifth street
at o'clock. The body, crushed and
bleeding, was taken to ST. Joseph's hos
pital but though life remained the
shock was too great, and he died three
hours later.
Dempseys fall was most tragic and fol-
lowed an alarm of fire from an incipient
blaze on the second floor of the build
ing in which he had an Office. Crazed
with fear at the dense smoke that pour
ed into his room, he attempted to cross
from the Washburn building to the ad-
joining building, using wooden sign
as bridge. He had made half the jour-
ney in safety, when to the horror OF
those below, the sign broke, his hands
clutching wildly at the air as he fell.
Witnesses closed their eyes in horror
at the sight. The body struck the ground
in the narrow passageway to the east OF
the building, sixty feet below.
Dempsey was playing cards with John
Blankenhorn in his Office when he heard
an unusual commotion in the building,
made by the tenants in their flight, and
made the remark to Henry Zoiiman, an
employe, that something must be the
matter. LOl1Hfdil Welt W eiiS oOoi Civ
on looking into the hall encountered a
dense volume of smoke. He Immediately
ran back and told the two men that the
building was on fire, and, selling MS
coat and hat, made his way down the
stairs through the smoke and out OF the
building. AS near as can be aScertained,
Dempsey, on hearing the news, dashed
out of his Office directly behind Blank
enhorn, who called to him to follow MIN
down stairs. Dempsey replied "all right
and that was the last seen of him, until
Officer Roach saw him fall to the ground.
1t is thought that in his excitement he
ran back into the office and taking up
an old board sign about foot wide, an
| inch thick and ten feet long, which he
had used when he had his printing Of
| flee on Cedar street, he opened the WIN
| dow and placing one end of the board
| on the roof of the next building he made
a bridbe across
Saw the Fall.
officer Roach said he was standing at
| the head of the alley, and on looking
! up toward the top of the building was
| Mortified to see Dempsey in the act or
| crossing over to the next building on
| the improvised bridge. He was about
| half way across before the officer could
say a word, the board suddenly snapped
| III TWO III Tic iLlONiS anu i|Ni+APSNJ 49,
| to the stone block pavement in the al
| ley. four stories below. Sergeant Call
was in the alley at the time, and on hear
| ing the board break looked up and saw
| a dark object, which he took to be
| shutter, fall. He was almost directly
under it, and had to dodge ia order to
escape being struck by the falling man.
Dempsey must have struck on his side
and head and some of his blood Was
/ splashed over Sergeant Call.
Willing hands quickly carried the limp
| form and placed it on a stretcher in the
| central patrol wagon, and he was taken
| to ST. Joseph's hospital, where he died
three hours later. He was fairly con-
scious until within an hour of his death,
but could tell nothing of the manner in
which the accident occurred.
Lived in st. Paul Many Years.
Dempsey was forty-fve years old, and
| came to ST. Paul twenty-five years ago
| from Chippewa Falls, Wis. He was en-
gagged in the printing business continu-
| ously since he came to the city, and was
a well known figure on the streets of
this city.
| He leaves a wife and eight children.
| Dempsey was a member of Minnehaha
camp, Modern Woodmen, Modern Samar-
| itans and Division No. l. Ancient Order
| of Hibernians. He was publisher of
weekly paper known as the Record.