The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1902-08-02
HOWARD RYAN MEETS INSTANT
DEArH.IN ELEVATOR OF NEW
YORK LIFE BUILDING
ALMOST DECAPITATED
BEFORE OPERATOR KNEW 1T
Five Year Old Lad Is Caught Between
the Floor of Cage and Projecting
Steel Beam-An Inquest to Be Held
Today-Mother Is Frustrated.

Howard Ryan, the five-year-old son
of Mrs. Anna l.. Ryan, met instant
death in one of the elevators of the
New York Life building yesterday aft
ernoon, by having his head and neck
crushed between the floor of the ele-
vator and a huge horizontal steel
beam, which projected from the sec
ond story floor of the building. The
head was almost completely severed.
The accident occurred at APO, and the
elevator was ascending at rapid rate
of speed, we'll filled with people. An
inquest will be held.
While there were several people in
the elevator, no one seems to know
Just how the boy met with the acct
dent 1t is thought, however, that the
boy was crowded to the extreme front
of the elevator, and that he was lean
ms forward, and possibly looking
down the shaft.
On the second floor, connected with
the glass skylight, is a huge steel
beam, about a.foot wide, which extends
directly in front of the elevator. A
screen which incloses the elevator
shaft extends from the rear of the iron
beam, leaving the whole side exposed
directly in the path of the elevator. 1t
clears the elevator by from one to three
inches, and thus the boy, who was
standing to the extreme front and lean
ING lOI NdIu, COulu ne Caught.
Reversed Lever Too Late.
The accident occurred without warn
ing. The people in the elevator felt
a thud, and the boy was pinioned at
their feet The elevator C~erator re-
versed the lever, but it was too late.
The boys neck had been broken and
his head was a mangled mass, damned
into the cavity between the beam and
the floor of the elevator.
The passengers left the elevator at
the second floor, and another elevator
was hastily dispatched to summon DR..
H. NJ. Luftkin, on the fourth floor He
pronounced the bow dead and advised
that the body and the elevator remain
in the same position until Coroner
Miller could arrive. Later the mOrgue
wagon was summoned and the re-
mains were taken to the undertaking
rooms of O'Halloran & Murphy, on
Seventh street.
Charles Parson, living at 106 South
Robert street, was in charge of the ele.
vator. Whether he was guilty of negli-
gence, or whether the construction of
the elevator and the building was at
fault, will be determined at the inquest
today.
Mother Is Frustrated.
Mrs. Ryan, the mother of the boy,
was at the Merchants hotel when the
accident occurred, where she is en-
ployed as a stenographer at the Demo-
cratic headquarters. When she learn
ed of the accident she repaired imme-
diately to the scene of the catastrophe
She was Frustrated with sorrow, and
her grief was pitiable to behold She
is a widow and has been supporting
her three children.
The boy had been about the building
great deal. He was in company
with his cousin, Edward Whitaker,
thirteen years old. The Whitaker boy
had been in the habit of going to the
postoff1ce for mail for different firms in
the building, thus earning a few pen
MES which he and the Ryan boy spent.
They were on their way with mail yes
terday when the younger boy was kill
ed.
When they arrived at the New York
Life building to take the elevator they
found several people waiting to as :
cend. They entered last, and, of ne
cessity, We're standing at the extreme
front portion of the elevator. The fu-
neral win take place Sunday.