The evening world., 1909-03-09
LAWYER FIGHTS
: Off NURSE AND
LEAPS TO DEATH
Wealthy Walter H. Merriam
Plunges From High Win
dow Of House.
HAD LONG BEEN ILL.
Attendant Nearly Dragged
Out, Too, as She Tried
to Restrain Him.
HAD LONG BEEN ILL.


who had been a neurotlc invalid for a
year past. killed himself this morning
by leap!ng from the fifth story window
of fashionable apartment-hous at No,
/ West SIxty.eighth street into back
lot.
Miss Meyer, one Of two trained nurses
who had tended the lawyer day and
night for weeks. made frantic effort
to prevent the suicide, clutchlng at her
patients pajamas az he was waverlng
on the window ledge. He tore himself
loose from her. leaving fragments Of
his garments In her hands, and
plunged sixty feet into the darkness OF
the vacant lot below,
This occurred at 545 o'clock when all
the others In the Merriam apartment
were asleep. Mrs May Merriam, the
lawyers wife. slept In an adjoining
room. the day nurse in another room
down the hall and the lawyers two lit
tie children. May. nine years old. and
Irene. five, in another room with a
nurse.
INV SSSb w IVbSn
The patient had suffered excruclatins
pains In the mead for the past few
weeks and DR.. Lea. who lives in the
building and has been one OF the physi-
clans in attendance upon the lawyer, had
prescribed ice packs. Miss Meyer had
all night.
After o'clock Merriam seemed to est
more comfortably, and when the nc-se
went out OF the room to get more ice at
$50 she thought the lawyer was asleep.
He was only te!gning, however. and I'D
undoubtedly planned his suicide. Miss
Meyer got back to the bedroom In time
TO see the figure OF her patient screened
in the window. II eahd thrown up the
cash and climbed out on the ledge.
With scream the nurse dartsd for.
ward and caught wildly at the sick
mans pajamas getting a firm grip on
the skirt OF his Jacket
Let CO." he cried. "or I'll drag you
out, too. I'm going to die!" With that
he threw his full weight away from the
window, dragging the nurse half way
out the window before the thin stuff Of
the pajamas gave way.
Couldn't Reach Body.
Mrs. Merriam reached the bedroom q
moment after her husband had dlsap-
peared. Rousing the servants. she and
Miss Meyer rushed downstairs to the
apartments OF the jan!tor, George Sie-
bold. He tried to ind way into the
back lot, which is fenced In by high
billboards. They could find no rear en-
trance. and the frantic wife, clad only
in her nightgown. ran out into the
street and beat upon tho fence with
her hands. screaming incoherently.
sebold and other tenants telephoned
10 the West Sixty-sighth street station,
whence Policemen Leonard and Duggan
were despatched to the scene. When
they got to the apartment house they
found several citizens trying to climb
over the high board Enclosure. They
found tho body Just within tho fence
and alongside bowlder upon which the
lawyer struck head foremost.
To get the body out It was necessary
TO cut hole In the fence. Then per.
mission had to be obtained from Cor.
oner Hamburger before the body could
be taken up to the Merriam apartment.
Dr. Leopold Putzel a nerve specialist,
OF No. l3 West F!fty-seventh street, one
OF the doctors who had charge Of the
lawyer. issued the death certificate.
III for eng Time.
DR.. PutEel said that Mr.. Merriam
had suffered from neurotic malady
for two years. A year ago he had
gone abroad to rest, returning to New
York six months ago apparently cured.
Then three months ago his father.
James H. Merriam, with whom he had
been In business since his graduation
from the New York University Law
School, died suddenly from pneumonia
The death Of the father completely up
set the son. md he relapsed into Ms for
mer trouble, this time in greatly ag-
gravated phase.