The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1902-12-16
ACCUSED FIREMAN A SUICIDE.
DRtNk POISON, SLiD DOWN THE
POIE. DiED Nv THE FIOOR.
Iircnen InInk IiSnnon Was Frightened
about Its Famil,'s Pension lie Was a
Roii ~ Honor Man VINO Was Tried
Yesterday Tor Absence without Leave

George A Harmon. one Of the ci,yS fire
men who are on The roll of honor for saving
lives. was tried by Commissioner Sturgis
Yes erday for absence for TWO days without
leave and committed suicide las, night
IN the FIRE house of Hook and Ladder Com
panv IL in East 1881 street near Third
;enlie.
Harmon went to his room on the third
floor of the house Al o'clock. got into bed
drank carbolic acid, put on his boots and
trousers and then slid down the brass rod
To the company room on the second floor
Tn" other men were playing dominoes
there.
"Follows." he said eve gone TO my as,
fire"
TEcn hc staggered 10 the door or the
room where Acting Deputy chief Peter
sloan, the hero of score Of fires. was
sitting
cap he shouted, and then he fell I'M
conscious
Sloan sent a fireman on the run for q
priest 10 administer extreme JUNCTION. The
fireman returned only to bring the word
that he had been Unable 70 find tho priest
There's no need now" said Sloan
@Hannon'~ dead"
They l"t his body lie Al Slnans door while
Fireman Hines telephoned for Coroner
Ottoman To him Sloan and the other
iiremen told the story Of lannon's death.
just a. il is told here.
Harmon was charged several DAYS ago
with being absent without lea Va fortwo da v.
Aoc ording to his friends, it was the first
complaint against him in several wears.
,. ath t,l. I'LL 4
deal about hs trouble and when they saw it
worried him. they Jokcd him all the more.
Fire Commissioner Sturg!s had arranged
To hold his trials for The Bronx delinQuer =
Yesterday in Truck Us house al 3 p ".
At o'clock Coroner O'Gorman drcpTed
in Al the station to talk with one OF the
fr"nleu.
How do YOU do Mr. Commi,sionerf
said Foreman Euge'" Sullivan. with a wink
Then Sullivan summoned Harmon, who was
l"II lrg against tho bras sliding pole
Mr.. Commissioner. said sullivan, 'this
i Fireman launCu. who il TO ba tried hv
YOU for being away for two days without
leave. Is" easy on him for hes good
man. Just send him over TO City Island
or something like that
I'm fla II up said O'Gorman, falling
into Va" Joke.
An hour after that tho real omm issioner
arrived and Ha.upn, whr had meanwhile
been plagued hv his fellows n good dca =,
grow white in ,ho face.
When lannon's C1ie had been heard
Cmu:ss.ou"r Sturgis reserved decision ON
II. Harmon left The house a. soon az the
trial was over. hut came back ia an hour or
TWO and went NJ "a the sleeping rooms
II Han. pn'~ p,ck.'- were found Two
'otters from the Fire Commissioner, rotify-
80 -. nli !s"n put on the roll
~, iiur.r h fir-, letter ?oci'.J The stof,
- lii swing the lives of four people at
q fr' a. - Elm street, Oct. o, is9S Tho
second ieiter was about his saving the
life Of = mar NJ u fir" Al i59 Ridge street
49, Dec. 9. 1903
Harmon Was A. years old and was mar
riod. He lived nj III East i6lst street
with h> wife and two children An eight
ycat-od son died ak months ago.
The fir"nen sold he had probably killed
himself 80 that his family would get their
pension.
Ha"rgn was appointed Ia the fore. on
ard got 81 100 a year. The law provides
that the Commissioner. a. trustee Il the
relief fund may in lis discretion pay TO the
widow or children Of any deCrase officer"
a pension which shall rot EXCEED $500 a
year, unless the fireman was killed IL per-
forr.ance of hi duty. 4 dismissed fire.
man has 10 claim. tn" tirempn believe
that Harron would have escared with a
fire Of a few days pay. but that be had got
frightened ahot, it.
Il was never so taken hack in my life +"
said the Coroner after he had seen Harnon's
body, "as | was when ! saw the CORPSE of
that man on whom | had helped TO play n
Joke a few hours before his death