The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-10-22
LIFE STORY OF ENERGY
HIGH CHARACTER AND ABILITY LED
TO POLITICAL SUCCESS.
Men Who Knew Him Intimately Ex.
pressProfound Appreciation
MOrss-Funeral at Fl. Wayne.

Samuel +. Morss, owner and editor OF the
indianapolis Sentinel, and consul general 10
Paris under the last administration OF Pres
ident Cleveland, fell from an Illinois-strpet
window, in his private office on the third
floor of the Sentinel building. yesterday
morning at 9:45 o'clcck, and was 50 fright
fully injured that he died within half an
hour at st. vincents Rrspital.
Although the accident occurred at busy
hour of the morning. when Illinois street
was in a rush and roar. hundreds passing
the Sentinel building. at Pearl street. every
few minutes, there few who saw Mr.
Morss plunge To death. and still fewer who
are able TO give coherent account Of what
was actually observed.
ALONE IN HIS OFFICE.
Mr.. Morss was alone i'm his private Office
at the time. Is. Mccarthy. secretary and
treasurer of the indianapolis Sentinel Com
pany, whose personal and business relations
with Mr. Morss were of the closest intimacy
for many years. was in small room imme-
diateIy adjoining Mr.. Morss's private Office
to the south. separated from il only by
thin partition. Hubert Haskell. Mr. Morsss
private secretary. had just left the office
when the accident occurred. Neither heard
an outcry, the noise of fall. nor knew what
had happened until they noticed the confu-
sion i'm the street below.
While no one can describe with absolute
accuracy the circumstances which brought
about the fearful fall. they may be guessed
with reasonable fidelity. The window from
which Mr. Morss fell was one Of two facing
ON Illinois street in his private office I'm the
tower. These windows reach from near the
the floor. Inside the Office there is a wooden
window seat, perhaps eight inches wide. On
the outside narrow ledge, less than half
foot in width. juts from the stone sides of
the building. The floor of the private Office
is of hardwood, so polished that even those
familiar with its treaeherous surface found
difficulty at times i'm maintaining footing.
SAT- IN THE WINDOW.
II was a habit with Mr.. Morss TO sit on one
of these window seats at times when mat
tiers did not demand his immediate atten-
ton and observe the passing Of people and
happenings in the busy street below. The
theory of the accident. formed by Mr. Me
Carthy. Mr.. Haskell and others connected
with the Sentinel. is that Mr.. Morss, while
seated OH the window shelf yesterday MORN
ing had his attention attracted by some
currence in the street. and in looking down
lost his balance on the slippery floor. could
not recover his equilibrium in the dangerous
window. and. there being no broad ledge
on the outside to stop his fall. plunged head
long to the sidewalk i'm front OF the Sentinel
building. thirty feet below
Mr.. Mccarthy and other friends OF Afr.
Morss say that he could not look down from
a high place without becoming dizzy. He
was subject to occasional attacks of vertigo.
LII is recalled that several years ago, at
tel Afr al
injured by fall which nearly ended his
life His daughter Josephine. then a little
girl, was playing on the lawn i'm front 81
the hotel. Mr.. MOrss was sitting on the Soc
ond-fioor balcony. Suddenly the child fell
into the fountain, and in his fear for her
safety Mr. Morss rushed TO the balcony
railing tainted. and fell To the ground.
breaking an arm and suffering other severe
injuries. 1t was a long time before nc fully
recovered from that accident S mt. and ,d the mark.
splintered bone, remained.
FELT RUSH OF AIR
W. H Smith. a former newspaper man
and an old friend OF Mr. Morss. was stand
ing in front of the Sentinel Office when
the accident occurred. He had been in
Pearl street. watching the antics OF two
or three men who were under the influences
of liquor 1t Is believed that Mr.. Morss
may have leaned from the window to find
out what was causing the loud talking and
laughter in the streets. when he lost his
balance and fell. After finding out what
the cause of the commotion was Mr..
Smith walked from Pearl street around
the corner to Illinois and stood directly
berreath the windows OF Mr.. MorSs's pri-
yate Office I'm the tower. Suddenly he felt
a rush of air. close that IL famed his
cheek. heard the peculiar dead thud that
marks the contact of human body with
! some hard substance, and turned TO see tie
body OF a man, face downward. on the
sidewalk head close to the building
IL was not until Mr.. Smith turned the
body over that he saw TO his horror and
amazement that IL was his friend with
whom he had been quietly discussing bust
previous TO that time. Mr.. Smith called
employees from the Sentinel business Office.
and with their assistance carried the dying
man inside, where he lay until the City
Dispensary ambulance. which had been
summoned instantly. arrived. DIR. George
j Cook was also called. Dr. Kenneth Jef-
| fries was I'm charge of the ambulance. and
the two physicians removed Mr.. MOrSs TO
St Vincents Hospital There he was
| placed at once on an operating table and
| preparations were made 90 save his life
| by heroic means il IL were possible to
| do so.
TERRIBLE INJURIES
DIR. ]. H. Oliver was at the hospital when
the ambulance arrived. Dr. Oliver found.
| on examination. that there was absolutely
no hope of preserving life even for a brief
period, or even OF reviving the uncon-
| scious man. The skull was fractured in
several places the most pronounced frac-
lures being one at the base OF the brain
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