Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1905-11-04
.FATED FALL
BRINGS DEATH.
William Metz Plunges From Roof
Of Building and
FRACTURES HIS SKULL
Was Employed as A. Carpenter On New
CIosson Block Where Accident
Occurs

With smile upon his face and a
laugh upon his lips, William Metz, a
lifetime resident of Santa Fe, plunged
through a trap door in the annex
building being erected Lext door to
Blossoms livery stable, It 7:15 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
was informed that, owing to the in
clemency of the weather, picnic
party which he was to drive had been
| postponed.
| His brother workmen, Frank Hall
and Manuel Alarid, who were awaiting
his arrival, preparatory to going upon
the roof of the new building to lay
some tin, proposed that they ascend
to the roof and lay the tin before the
rain increased. Metz accepted the
proposal, and they ascended to the
roof They were on the rear part of
the roof when the rain began to fall.
| Near front was trap door that
| had been cut for the purpose of al
lowing ingress and egress to the
| roof.
When it began to rain rather hard
Metz, exclaiming to his companions:
81 can beat you down." started for
this trap door on the run.
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 falling body, and descend
ing by the back way, they hurried to
that part of the buildiRe directly be-
low the trap door where they So
Metz lying at I'll length end appar'
emily unconscious. @They ra' Ito his
side. and, assisting him ito his feet
led him to-the wall, against which hi
reclined until the arrival, some few
moments later, of the stables nigh
watchman, who assistd him to the oi
flee, next door.
Ernest Hart, brother workman Q
Metz's, arriving at the stable abou
this time, approached him and asked
"Are you hurt, Billy? to which tht
injured man 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. J. M. Diaz was Immediately
summoned and pronounced the injur
| ed man as being seriously hurt, hav
, ing sustained a fracture at the base o.
the skull. A carriage was immedi
| ately secured and the injured man Ia
| ken to his home on College Street.
Dies Of Injuries.
, DR., Diaz worked with the injured
/ man, but he was beyond medical aid
l and at between 10:30 and IL o'clocl
5 he died. In trying to account for tn
} tragedy, of which there were no eye
n witnesses, his companions gave a
l. their version of the affair that II
J. swinging through the trap door nj
s. feet must have slipped from unde
l. him. allowing his head to come in col
tact with some 2x4 pianks that wer
l. living directly beneath the trap, thu
d causing the fracture of the skull. Tn
n distance from the roof to the floor
y not over ten feet, so that his hea
e must have come in hard and seve1
n contact with the planks to ha'
l. >aused death blow.
William Metz was we'll and favor
bly, known to the residents of San
Fe, he having been born and rails
in this city. Besides a large host
friends, he leaves a wife, mother
!" brother, and a married sister, MI
Goldie Chapman. He was about
years of age. He was a young M
of good character, exemplary habl
m honest and trustworthy. His sudd
le- and unexpected death is an espect
an ly severe blow to his young wife. 5
s: and his mother and other relatlV
of and friends have the genuine syml
thy of the community In their su
in den and great misfortune. The
neral arrangements have not as
sh- been made.