The evening world., 1904-02-24
Robert J. Rich, Yale Sophomore,
Found Dead at Foot of Preci-
pice Where Several Students
Have Lost Their Lives.
HAD SLIPPED FROM SUMMIT
AND FALLEN $50 FEET
During Descent His Head Struck
Ledge and Skull Was Frac-
tured-Watch Was Running
When Body Was Discovered.

(. NEW HAVEN, Conn. Feb. "a
Death Rock" has claimed another vic.
tim. this one being Robert j. Rich
\ Yale sophomore. His body was found
at the foot of tho tall precipice. in
almost the same place as have beer
found the bodies of many others. !,
has not yet been determined II Rich
fell In an attempt TO scale tho cliff. as
liz George Benedict Sherman. another
student. last October. or whether he
Ieaped from the summit to the base.
So many Yale students have either
met serious injury or death In the fool
hardy and daring attempts to scale
Death Rock" that to-day It is believed
the university authorities will forbid
students making tho attempt in the
future.
Rich. who was twenty-five years old.
left his room Monday before noon to
take a walk. That was the last seen
of him alive by his roommates, Charles
F. Kerrigan and Alfred Aston. OF
Brooklyn.
Lucius C. Porter and wilfred A. Row
ell. divinity students. were walking on
top OF Death\ Rock yesterday after
noon when they looked over the ledge
and there. down $50 feet at the base of
the precipice. they saw the body Of the
young man.
His Watch still RunninE.
Skirting down around the rock they
found the body and recognized 1t as
that OF the missing Rich. Half way
down the p~reciplce Is a ledge that juts
out a few feet. Rich's cap was found
there, and from that and n wound
on the back of tho head which had
fractured the skull 1t was believed that
he had struck there on his descent and
had bounded off and down to near
where the road passes.
His watch was still running. and from
II was believed he had not been
dead long when his body was found.
Rich was the second son OF f. II.
Rich. cashier OF the First National
Bank of Fort Dodge. Iowa. His elder
brother is a student In the Massachu-
sets School of Technology.
Three Yale students and the wives Of
two Yale professors Ia been found
dead at the base OF this cliff. Mrs.
waldo, wife OF Prof. Waldo. OF Yale.
leaped from the rock on Feb. 10. 1856,
and was killed.
other Death Rock Victim.
Mrs. Peck, wife OF Mr.. Tracy Peck.
IL. d. OF Yale, was found dead Mt the
base OF the cliff on Feb. 6. 1903. She had
been missing several days. when all
Yale students went out In search OF her.
One party went Immediately to Death
Rock. and there found the mangled body
OF the professors wife.
Edward Ford Howard. OF Montclair, !
n. j., a student in the Sheffield Scien-
the School. was found dead on a pro-
jecting ledge OF the rock on Feb. 2s. 1903.
After the finding of Mrs. Peck's body. "a
number of students dared each other to
attempt to climb the face of the cliff.
Howard was the first to make the
attempt and his death discouraged the
others until last october, when George
Benedict Sherman, OF Cleveland. o.. a
grandson of Gen. w. r. Sherman, al
tempted to scale the face of the rock.
When neal the top he fell in view OF
hundreds of other students who were
watching him, and died the next day In
the Yale college inflrmary.