The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1911-09-22
CORONER ACTS
 IN SHOCKING
 ELEVATOR CASE
Recommends Safety Device to Prevent Starting of Elevators
 Until Doors Are Closed
Guest Killed at Stratfield- Pathetic Note From Daughter Coroner Finds no Criminal Liability But Makes Recom- mendation For Safety

Liability but Makes Kec0m-
 mendation For Safety
 In one of the most shocking eleva- tor accidents in the history of the cfty. Isador Meyer, a trayeling sales man whose home is at 140 W. 113th street, New York, was crushed to death at the Sratfield about e:3O o'clock last evening, while attempting to board a moving elevator at the sixth floor
 Meyers head was damned between the top of the descending elevator and the floor with such force that his body was slammed over backward on head was taken off.
 AS a result of the accident, Acting Coroner Henry C. Stevenson will rec- ommend that all elevators be equip- ped with safety devices making it i'm possible to start them until the doors have been tightly closed. The cor oner finds that there was no crim- iilal liability in this case, but the ac- cident is one to which the present type of elevators is only too liable.
 Webster Dorr, the only passenger in the elevator, and Peter Connor, the operator, had no knowledge of the accident until after it was all over A shower of blood came through the top of the machine as it was descend ing.
 You've killed man. screamed Dorr to the operator.
 The elevator was stopped at the next floor and Dorr and Connor rush. ed into the next elevator and went back to the sixth floor They could find no one. Peering down the shaft, they saw the lifeless body on top of the elevator car below. A ladder was procured and Meyers body was lift ed out. He was stone dead.
 Tn searching among his papers for Identification, a letter was found from his daughter BeulaIl. aged 19.
 Dear Pape," it read, 1T want you to be awfallly careful of yourself Eat plenty of nourishing food and do not hasten through your meals while you are travelling. Take good care of yourself and come home to us soon, for we are all anxious to see you The boys send you their Ioye.y
 His eldest son came to Bridgeport today and claimed the body, which had been turned over to Rourke & Rourke. The remains were sent to New York at noon today and the fr- neral will take place tomorrow.
 Meyer was ITdV6IlHS SdI6SIictH IOr the clothing firm of Joseph Yeska & Co, Washington Place, New York He was 50 years of age, and is sur vived by a wife, two sons, aged g and 21, and a daughter, aged 19. He was a member of the Elks, the Ma sonic Fraternity, the Commercial Travellers, and carried life and acci- dent insurance, as his papers showed
 The news of the accident was not !, J,v,1rov, NTy.c, Nov,.o,.t ,,r,fi1 ,,oan fo- day. She had heard that her hus- band met with an accident but did not know he was killed. She was over come when the truth was told to her
 Acting Coroner Stevenson complet- ed his examination into the circurn- stances this morning, and found. that there is no criminal liability, and will make his report to that effect later. At the same time Coroner Stevenson is impressed with the painful fre- quency of similar elevator fatalities, due to the starting of the elevator be- fore the door is closed.
 Tn order to prevent this type of ac- cident the conorer's finding, when completed, will carry with it a rec omm endation that elevators be equip ped with a device which will make it impossible to turn on the power until all doors are closed tight. This will make it impossible for persons in a hurry to board a car that is in mo ton. 2
 The coroner's investigation shows that the accident occurred in the fol- lowing manner:
 MT. Meyer had gone with his things to the sixth floor and left them in his room. He came out and stood before the east elevator, to take it down stairs Webster Dorr, another guest, was standing before the west elevator.
 stopped first. Mr. Dorr stepped in, and the operator, Peter Connor, aged 19, seeing no one else in front of the elevator, started it downward and at the same time showed the door,
 MT. Meyer at that moment sprang for the descending elevator and jump ed through the rapidly closing door The top of the elevator struck him on the head, crushed him against the floor and threw him over backward on top of the elevator, carrying him down with 1t.
 When Connor discovered what had happened he tainted, and MT. Dorr was very nearly overcome The ann bulance was hastily summoned but tile victim was stone dead and his body was removed to- Rol1rke & Rourke's mergue nearby.
 Judge HI. c. Stevenson, in the ab- sence of Coroner Wilson, was called in to investigate, with the result above stated. Judge Stevenson has not yet prepared his report, but it will be along the lines indicated. He will find that the elevator was in good operating condition and under control, and that the operator is a capable man. The accident was due to MT. Meyers attempt to board it while it was in motion, and the coroner hopes that his recommendation for safety devices will be followed and will tend to make such accidents impossible TO DEFINE STATUS