New-York tribune., 1907-09-08
SUICIDE ON Il" TRACKS
Brooklyn Cro1Cd Fights to Get
MementoS of the Tragedy.

Not for months has the morhidness OF crowd
been more strikingly emphasized than II was
yesterday IN Brooklyn, when Edward T. Hal
bach. a stenographer, killed himself after a quar-
rel with his sister He threw himself under an
elevated train at the Halsey street station or
the Lexington avenue line. The train swept on
stopping when his body was imprisoned beneath
the rear trucks of the first car Only part OF
the body was there. however. for several pieces
fell into the street below. Then for three hours,
while the breakdown gang of the road. the
police and the fremen labored to get out what
remained OF the stenographer. the crowd Fought
10 get some menento Of the grewsome Tragedy
Half an hour after the suicide ten thousand
persons were fighting for chance TO see some
part Of the body. portions OF which protrud1ns
from the structure could be seen from the street
Thirty patromen cleared a space Immediately
beneath and by dint of putting the ends of their
nightsticks forcibly against the stomachs OF the
ghouls who fought for closer view. kept most
OF them back.
The vrecking crew came down with crane
and began at once the work of lifting the train.
SO that wha- was left OF the body could be ex-
tricated Firemen placed ladders from the street
to aid them. but could do little, although they
fought. with the police, 10 keep the morbid
throngs within bounds.
As soon as the breakdown gang had lifted the
n few inches lpr. La COSTA OF lne buSL-
wick Hospital. wormed his way between the
ties TO reach the body. He took big gun,
full of morphine, with him. but he did not have
n use II. Halbach was Enthusiastically dead.
Then the police had to pull the physician out
backward so confined was the space. After
two and a half hours Of hard work the dismem-
bered body was extricated and traffic was re-
suu1ed The block had reached back to East
New York
HaIbach lived with his sister. Mrs. Edward
". Shaw. at No. 615 Decatur street. Yester-
dav morning before he went to work they quar-
relied What it was about neither she nor her
husband Will tell but Halbach went through
his work all day in manner showing that
some great load lay on his mind.
For an hour he stayed the platform at
rTo1sev street before he killed himself. AS
every train approached ne would leave his po
eition near the ticket chopper and walk toward
the edge of the platform. While this attracted
attention. it was thought by the chopper and
ticket agent that he simply impatiently
waiting for some one. and they gave MIN no
further notice. By o'clock the stairs leading
10 the station were choked by those who could
not get on the platform. AS Lexington ave-
nue. train approached HaIbach had got to the
edge of the platform. AS the train began to
slow down he waited until the last moment and
then cast himself the track.
The motorman. George Ehring. something
fash by his window. The feel" of the train
beneath him, as it lifted to the unmistakable
soft jolt that comes when it strikes living
thing caused Ehring to jam hard the brakes.
The shoes bit quickly that the passengers in
the crowded cara thrown forward and
what with the horror on the station platform and
the fright on the train there was incipient
panic for some time 1t not until the police
had cleared the platform and train that IT was
overcome Arterward DR.. Da Costa had to re-
vive fifteen women who had tainted.