New-York tribune., 1910-09-01
FALLS OFF A SkYSCRkPER
Man Crashes Through Adjoining
Roof in 300-Foot Drop.
CRUSHED PAST RECOGNITION
Cards Lead to Identification OF
Park Row Building Suicide
or Accident Victim.

Edgar H EoIbrook, a life insurance
solicitor, who fell from the fourth floor OF
tie New York Life Insurance Building, on
January s. 1895. either fell or jumped yes
ferday from the twenty-sIxth floor or the
roof OF the Park Row Building. His body
landed on the elevator shed on the roof OF
q six story building next door, and was SO
badly crushed as TO be unrecosnlzapie'
The mans terrible death caused many STE
1lographers and other women employees IL
the tall building to become hysterical-
f5o1hroolx went 10 the Park Row Building
~ business connected with the Preferred
Accident Insurance Company, OF NO -"
broadway. but x is not known no" ne
came TO be either on the roof or the t"en-
.v-sixth floor from one or the other OF
v hich fe is supposed 10 have fallen some
rairrers working on the wall OF the pulio-
sng al the nineteenth floor SAID they sa"
the body. but not until II came tumphhs
through the air past them. None OF lhehl
could tell whether the long fall began from
the top Of the building or window
In the drop Of more than 800 feet Holorook s
hodv acquired a terrific momentum, and
when It struck the top OF the elevator shed
AZ crashed through a heavy iron screen d
sheet of heavy glass and some half-lnch
Ilanking-
These obstacles were not sufficient to pre-
vent Holbrook's body from dropping on
top OF the elevator drum, which was IN
-rotior at the time The body was so man
x)ed that II became wedged tightly in the
elevator machinery and stopped it
Eobert Maxwell who was running the
car. was coverd with a shower Of glass
and. glancing up, saw the body half pro-
.y7Jdjpg through the cage work He theh
x-ot out and climbed up a Ladder leaolhs
70 +he roof He called down the elevator
sf,aft for help. and the janitor OF the bullo-
sne called Patrolman Kelleher, Of the oak
street station.
I. Trainor, Of No. 1915 SD street
Prooklyn. who was in the building at No
q Park Row, craw-led into the shanIy win
Michael Weir, head porter OF the FaIh
Row Building. and managed to extrlca'e
Holbrook With the aid of the patroIInan
they succeeded in getting the body 10 the
roof This was done only after a walt OF
more than an hour, because nooodE present
was willing 70 act until the coroner had
viewed the body. When telephone per
nit was received from q clerk IN 'he
Coroner's Office, however, the crushed 1oIih
was carried 10 the street ana from t--eie
sent TO the station house
An examination the NSzN llit-i-
.ng failed TO disclose any idenuhcatlon
mark. but the police found & number OF
business cards in q wallet and from one
Of these they found the name CT the coili-
panv by which F4olbrook was employed
William Morris. an agent of the COM
, many. who was acquainted with Holbrook,
soon arrived at the station house ana
identified the body by means OF some per-
sonal belongings Holbrook.s gold Watch
was found in one Of his pockets. II was
stopped at eI7 O'Clock, and the police
recorded this as the time Of his death.
FIolbrook was hfty-seven years old. he
lived IN the boarding house at No. lZS west
10Th street. kept by Mrs. Parks. When
she was told Of his death. she said he had
appeared to pe IN good spirits At the break
fast table yesterday morning, and that she
knew no reason why he should kill him
self After thinking few moments, how
ever. SIZE said that he was greatly worried
over the health Of his wife, who recently be
came blind. a miniature photograph OF
Mrs Eolbrook was found in her husband 5
watch fob locSet Mrs. Parks said that Mrs,
IIolbrook was staying a. the Waverley
Hotel. In Ocean Grove, and that her hus-
band visited her there every week.