Atlanta Georgian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1912-1939, 1913-06-15
SEE
FATHER DIE IN
5-STORY FALL
Delegate to Presbyterian Assem-
bly,, Aged 83, PIunges tc His
Death in Elevator Shaft.
SON ATTEMPTS TO SAVE HIM
Pulls Coat From Fathers Back in
Futile Effort to Prevent
Fatal Accident.

While his son and daughter looked
| on, powerless to help him, w. W.
Martin. SO years old, of Decherd,
Tenn, fell 10 feet down the elevator
shaft of the Third National Bank
Building Saturday afternoon shortly
after 5 o'clock. He was instantly
killed. His chest was crushed, his
skull fractured and his arms and legs
broken IN twelve places.
Mr.. Martins son, Theodore w. Mar
tin, of 277 Myrtle Street. narrowly
| escaped a similar fate. When his
father stepped from the elevator and
toppled backward into the shaft, the
son grasped his coat and tried to pull
him back to the floor. The weight of
the aged man was too great and the
coat slipped from the sons grasp.
Mr.. Martins daughter. Mrs. E. S.
Center. wife of the general agent of
the Atlanta and West Point Railroad,
tainted from the shock of seeing her
father plunge to his death. She was
carried into her husbands Office on
the third floor of the building, and
later was taken to her home in Col
lege Park.
Mr.. Martin fell from the third floor
to the basement. striking the steel
| bumper with his face and chest.
| Wash Wood, OF II Arm Street. a ne
gro fireman, probably is the only per-
son who saw him strike the bottom
Of the shaft. Wood says he was
standing at the bottom Of the shaft
when Mr.. Martins body fell within a
] foot of him. The aged man struck on
his face and chest and rolled over on
his back He never spoke.
Son Tells Story.
Theodore W. Martin. the son, who
| tried to save his father when he fell,
told a graphic story Of the accident;
six of u.s." Mr.. Martin said, had
come to the Third National Bank
Building intending to go into the Of
/ flee Of my brother in-law, r. 5.
| Center, on the third floor
an the party were my father my
sister, Mrs. Center; her husband; my
sister law, Mrs. e. II. Martin, of
McComb City, Miss. little Floyd
Bradley. of College Park, and l.
when the elevator reached the
third floor Mr. Center and l stepped
out, and my father started to follow
| us He put his right foot on the
floor. with his left foot on the floor
J of the elevator. The elevator boy,
| evidently thinking Mr.. Center and l
were the only ones who wished 10 get
out at that floor, closed his gate and
threw on the power before my father
| got out Father was caught in the
door, and as the elevator shot up
ward, his left foot slipped and he
was thrown backward. Ny sister
! screamed, and fathers struggles
threw the elevator door wide open;
I saw my father falling and grasped
his coat, and for several seconds I
struggled TO drag him TO safety.
Then the coat slipped from my
hands and father toppled backward
| into the shaft. We heard him strike
the bottom Of the shaft, and 1 ran
down stairs as fast as / could. When
1 got there he was dead. He never
spoke while he struggled to keep
from falling.
Thinks Boy Lost His Head.
1.-THE elevator boy evidently lost
his head after father got caught in
| the door, for he ran his car up about
eight or ten feet before he brought
| it to a stop, though Mr.. Center and
myself and my sister and Mrs Mar
tin, in the car. were shouting for
| him to stop When he did stop IL
was too late My sister and my sis
ter-in-law, Mrs. Center, collapsed
from the shock, and Mr.. Center took
them into his office"
J. w Nichols, the elevator boy
who lives at 80 Simpson Street, de-
clares that it was Mr.. Martins fault
that he fell
Mr. Martin made no move to get
out when the others did" Nichols
said, land I shut the door and threw
on the power. The door lacked about
| six inches Of closing, and as I started
| upward Mr. Martin pushed by me.
threw Il open, and stepped out. ]
/ stopped the car as quickly as l could,
but before I could shut of the power
| lie had fallen"
No Arrests Made.
Detectives and police officers inves-
! tigated the death Of Mr.. Martin and
declared II was an accident. They
said Nichols would not be. arrested.
Mr.. Martin, who was one Of the
| prominent men in his section of Ten
nessee. came 10 Atlanta to attend the
| Presbyterian Assemblies in May, and
since then has been the guest Of his
| three children in Atlanta. who are
Theodore W. Martin, Pa Myrtle Ave-
nue., of the grain brokerage firm Of
Smith a Martin: y. K Martin. Of
$50 North Jackson Street, a broker in
| the Terminal Building, and Mrs. F. ).
Center. Of College Park. He also is
survived by other children. four sons
and one daughter. as follows; N. p.
Martin. formerly Of Atlanta and now
Of Chattanooga, T. II. Martin. Ike
Martin and Clyde Martin. OF McComb
! City. Miss. and Mrs. J. w. Mason, Of
Decherd. Tenn Theodore Martin had
intended 90 take his father home next
Friday. stopping of az Dechcrd en-
route 90 Peoria a.. Co attend the con
| Veuti0u OF The National Hay Dealers