The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1906-03-28
CRUSHED BY AN ELEVATOR.
David Morris Is Killed in Continental
BuildingNTried to Leave Car After
1t Had started-conductor on Verge
Of Collapse.

of Collapse.
Mr.. David Morris, aged SO years,
was crushed to death while attempt
ing to leave an elevator at the fifth
floor Of the Continental building, Bal
timore and Calvert streets, at 10:3O
o'clock this morning. The body was
hurried to the city hospital in the Cen
trail district patrol wagon, but was
not even removed from the wagon, as
the physicins said death had been in
stantaneous. The body was subse-
ouently taken to the morgue, where
Coroner Hayden will hold an inquest.
Mr.. Morris, who was employed by
the Baltimore Towel Supply Company,
321 North Holiday street, as driver
and distributor, took his wagon out
as usual this morning. and, as was
his custom when ne reached the Con-
.inental Building, went first to the top
floor to see tn, janitor, who was not
in his Office. It aas while descending
to look for him that ne was killed.
The car was in charge Of Eievatorman
Howard Coleman of 2719 Huntingdon
avenue. No one was in the car or
witnessed the accident except Cole
man, who was sent home, as he was
on the verge Of collapse.
Mr.. Isaac Hirshler, proprietor OF
the Baltimore Towel Supply Company,
gave the following account Of the ac-
cident:
"Mr. Morris, wha had been to the
sixteenth floor in search Of the janitor,
was all.sa 2.til the cnT.anctoa- N taa
ca. v.iich was goi:1s doeT3 Is =
sepIroa eAa,3 the fftn aco. tae $i@asis
shove: 1ha1 some l,..o vas vse;tiiss for
ne ca. ,Iae cond9;cso; stopped. aTaG
opening the door, asked the three
young women who were standing
there if they wished to go down. They
replied, no" and the man started to
shut the door. AS he shut the door
he started the car On it's downward
journey.
Mr.. NJ or.is, who had been standing
in the back of the car, made sudden
step forward, as though he had sud-
denly made up his mindto set off at
the fifth floor. The conductor tried to
prevent him reaching the door, but
was too late, and Mr.. Morris arm
caught in the doors and he was
thrown. violently against the roof, and
then thrown back again to the floor as
Coleman reversed the car in an effort
to prevent the accident.
A compound fracture of the skull
and a compound fracture Of the left
leg, caused death.
In speaking of Mr.. Morris, Mr..
Hirshler said:
HE was very careful and was rath-
er slow and deliberate in his move
ments. He had been working for US
for two years, and, as far as know,
never had an accident or mishap in an
elevator before, though he had ridden
in nearly all in the city and had used
those at the Continental building time
and again. I cannot account for the
accident, and suppose it was one OF
those that happen to the most careful
of men. I presume that he thought he
saw the janitor on the fifth floor as
the man started the car, and, without
thinking to say stop and not realizing
that the car had been started, stepped
forward and was caught in the door,
Mr.. Morris is survived by widow
| and several children, who live at 75e
West Lexington street.-Baltimore
News, March %.
Mr.. David Morris, whose tragic
| death is recorded above, was for q
number Of years a resident Of this city
and will be remembered by all Of the
older citizens.