The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-10-27
Strapped Himself to the Graf
ing Of the Window.
HIS DEATH WAS DUE
TO STANDARDIZATION
Was Under Arrest on the Charge Of
Fighting-The Dead Man Survived
by Mife and Several Children,
Body Found by Police Not
Very Long After Deed
Was Done.

Thomas Dolan, an iron worker employed
a. Belle Isle. ffty-t%o years old and mar
ried was found at 1910 o'clock last night,
hanging by a small leather strap to the
iron grating In the window of cell No. 8
a. the Second Police Station. dead.
Though the body was warm and had not
begun to grow rigid, the man WAS beyond
all hope of resuscitaton. life being ex-
t.nct when he was found Dolan had
inch wide. which he wore as a belt. and
after buckling this tightly around his
neck, had climbed TO the bench in the
cell. then TO a steam pipe foot or more
above the bench, and after faa!ening the
other end of the strap to the grating in
the window. had stepped off and died Of
strangulation. Death came without strug-
gle or sound. The physicians. Dire. Rex
and Sycle, OF the City Hospital. and Cor
oper Taylor, who viewed the remains. de-
clared that the man must have been dead
liz two minutes after his step from his
perch.
ALL EFFORTS IN VAIN.
Sergeant Holdcroft, who made the gr1le-
some discovery. Immediately gave the
adjoining Office. unstra pped the body, while
sergeant Hoidcroft held him up. Captain,
fHuice was on the scene in q moment and
With his other officers. Efforts at resusci-
tG Gtion were promptly begun, but the vital
spark had been extingnished. Coroner
Taylor. after viewing the remains. an
nounced that he would hold an inquisi-
ton at 4 o'clock this afternoon at his
Office In the City Hall. This will be
merely q formal inquiry. us the law re-
qrires one In the case of person dying
in jail or in prison.
Dolan had been arrested and brought to
the station-house at 6:t0 p. Nj. by Patrol
man Walton, on a warrant sworn out
October 10th. charging him with lighting
In Candles Hill Park. The man was
searched as usual, the Office sergeant find
ing nothing on his person but a small
bottle of liquor. He had been drinking
considerably, and manifested the effects
OF drink In his talk when locked up. He
was placed in cell No. 3, and a few min
utes afterwards. while the house officer
was out on n call. Justice Cornick. who
was sitting In the office heard Dolan
calling. and went to him and gave him
water. After drinking the water Dolan
asked the justice to have Police Justice
Graves sent for, presumably to ask for
bail or release on his own recognzance.
After that the man became quiet, and
nothing more was heard from him. al
though several persons We're constantly in
the Office.
FOUND HIM HANGING.
When Sergeant Holdcroft made a round
OF the cells few moments after 10 he
thought Dolan was standing on his bench
IN his cell, but on closer inspection was
Eorrifed to find the mans feet several
inches from the bench, He rushed to him,
and then saw that Dolan was suspended
from the grating by the small strap, He
Vas a heavy man, weighing probably It's
pounds. but his weight did not break the
strap. 1t proved only too strong, and ae-
ccmplshed its deadly mission. No one
ever suspected such a thing as an attempt
at suicide. certainly not with the belt
strap. and there was nothing else with
which 1t could have been compa ssed, The
suicide was wholly unforeseen, and hence
could not have been prevented, unless the
mans purpose could have been OWNED,
LEFT. A FAMILY. 81 +
Dolan lived at No. Cos South First Street
with his family, consisting OF wife and
three children He Was we'll known to
many citizens, His brother. Michael Do
Ian, according to report, was killed re-