Las Vegas daily optic. [volume] (Las Vegas, N.M.) 1880-1908, 1905-11-06
TRAGIC DEATH
OF WM. METZ
New MeXscan,,

tNeW MeNscah1,
With n smile upon ais face and n
laugh upon his lips, William Metz, n
lifetime resident OF Santa Fe, plunged
through a trap door In the anneX
building being erected next door 10
Blossoms livery stable at 7.l5 o'clock
this morning, sustaining injuries from
which he died during the forenoon,
Arriving at the stable, where he
had been employed by Charles c..
Closson since July as carpenter, he
IA informed that, owing TO the in
clemency of the weather, a picnic
party which he was to drive had been
postponed.
His brother workmen, Frank Hall
and Manuel Alaria, who were await.
ing his arrival, preparatory to going
upon the roof OF the new building to
lay SOME tin. proposed that they as
cend to the roof and lay the tin be-
fore the rain increased. Metz accept
ed the proposal, and they assembled
to the roof. They were OF the rear
part Of the roof when the rain began
10 fall. Near the front was a trap
uoor that had been cut for the pur-
pose of allowing egress 10 the roof.
When 1t began to rain rather hard
Metz, exclaiming to his companions:
II can beat you down" started for
4his trap door on the run.
u Plunges Through Trap.
Arriving at the trap door he swung
himself from the roof by his hands,
lowering his body through the hole
that led TO the floor below. The next
instant his companions heard the dull
thud Of a falling body, and. descend
ing by the back way, tiey hurried TO
that part of the building directly be-
low the trap door, where they saw
Metz lying at full lengca anc appar-
emily unconscious. They ran to his
side. and. assisting him to his feet.
led him to the wall, against which ne
reclined until the arrival, some Few
moments later. of the stables night
watchmen, who assisted him to the or
flee next door.
Ernest Hart. a brother workman OF
Metz's arriving at the stable about
this time, approached him and asked:
"Are you hurt. Billy?' to which the
injured mar nodded his head and re-
piled eyes" This was the only re-
mark he made. with the exception OF
a request that a physician be called.
DR.. ]. NJ. Diaz was Immediately
summoned and pronounced the injur-
ed man as being seriously hurt. hav-
ing sustained a fracture at the base
of the skull. A carriage was immedi-
ately secured and the injured man
taken to his home on College street.
Dies Of injuries.
Or. Diaz worked with the Injured
man, but he was beyond medical aid,
and at between 1880 and II o'clock
he died. In trying to account for the
tragedy. Of which there were no eye
witnesses. his companions gave as
their version Of the affair that in
swinging through the trap door his
feet must have slipped from under
him allowing his head to come in con-
tact with some 2x4 blanks that were
lying directly beneath the trap, thus
causing the fracture of the skull.
Thes distance from the roof to the
floor is not over ten feet. so that his
head must have come in hard and
severe contact with the planks to
have caused a death blow.
William Metz was well and favor
ably known to the residents of Santa
Fe. he having been bOr- and raised
in this city. Besides a large host CT
friends. he leaves a wife, mother, a
brother and a married sister. Mrs.
Goldie Chapman. He was about twen-
ty-six years of age. He was a young
man Of good character. exemplary
habits. honest and trustworthy. His
sudden and unexpected death Is an
especially severe blow to his young
wife. She and mis- mother and other
relatives and friends have the genuine
sympathy of the community IN their
sudden and great misfortune. The
funeral arrangements have not as yet
been made,