Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1914-09-22
TRAIN ENDS LIFE OF
DALLAS, $40 CLERK,
SUED FOR $4,000
Wife and Several Hundred
Persons See Him Virtually
Cut in Half at Sixtieth
Street Station.

Death under the wheels of an elevated
train at the 60th street station in full
sight OF his wife and several hundred per-
! sons this morning ended the financial
/ troubles of John ]. Dallas of 15S North
/ 62d street the former bookkeeper whc
was being sued for $4,000 by the l.. p.
/ White Company, jewellers, of Ninth and
/ Chestnut streets. Dallas fell beneath the
| train in such way that both suicide
/ and accident theories are tenable.
/ Dallas and his wife were on their way
/ to Norristown for the second day of the
! equity suit They were walking slowly
along the platform of the Goth street sta
tion of the elevated As westbound
train drew into the station Dallas stepped
to the edge of the platform and turned
until his back was to the rails. Then he
toppled over. Two cars passed over his
body, virtually cutting him in half.
Mrs. Dallas turned just in time to see
! her husbands body dropping over the
edge of the platform. The next instant
| the train shot past her. She became
| hysterical and was taken to her home
| by witnesses The rnutiliated body was
| taken to the morgue.
FALL SEEMED DELIBERATE.
| Men and women who saw Dallas fall
| TO his death from the eastbound plat
! been deliberately planned They declare
h" suaged the distance carefully so that
his body would fall directly over the far
track where he could not escape the
wheels. The heavy train was under
brakes at the time and was slowing up.
Owing to It's weight the motorman had
not the slightest chance to prevent the
killing.
Passengers in the first two cars who
felt the bump as the wheels went over
the body and heard the terrified shrieks
of women witnesses on both platforms
rushed from the train. Traffic was tied
w for some time until a patrol wagon
arrived and the body could be removed.
Several women We're taken away from
the scene on the verge of collaps.
DALLAS FACED TWO CHARGES.
The two different actions were under
one against Dallas, one the equity suit
and the other on criminal charges. He
was under a total OF 5000 bail on the
charges of attempting to blow up the
jewelry Office where he had been en-
ployed, and embezzlement. 1t is be-
leved that the fear of facing these
criminal charges led him to take his
life. \ desire TO soften the blow to his
wife is thought to have made him try
to make his death look like an acci-
Gent.
Judge Aaron S. Swa ritz. of the Mont
Eomcry County Court at Norrstown,
where the equity case against Dallas was
resumed yesterday, adjourned court to-
day. following the receipt OF news that
the defendant was dead. Just what
action will be taken now, attorneys for
the plaintihs could not say this morn
ing. It was suggested that terms in set
u.
might now be accepted from the estate.
Dallas had some real estate. according
to attorneys for the complainant that
has been tied up in the civil suit.
The equity case against Dallas to re.
cover EjoC1r he was alleged to have en-
hezzlsd was started last spring a Nor
ristown but after one day the court adj
journed for the summer Immediately
after that offers of settlement were made
by Dallas and were rejected as unsatis-
factory.
OWNED AUTO ON 900 \ WEEK
Dallas was a bookkeeper in the employ
OF the Jewelry firm, In the testimony
yesterday it was brought out that ap-
parently on nothing nut his small salary.
so a week. he lived in sumptuous style in
Ardmore and owned an automobile. Dal- !
las explanation was that he made money /
ON the side by acting as an expert ac- |
countanc to several Philadelphia firms /
His case was given a severe blow when
representatives. Of these f1rns denied that
he had ever been employed by them.
Every shred Of paper containing evil
donce Of alleged defalcatons by Dallas .
has been removed from the books of the
company, according 10 the testimony yes
terday The belief that Dallas would .
try TO shift the blame 10 Robert L.
Coates, manager Of the White concern
was made more substantial yesterday by
the testimony taken,
The story Of the attempted blowing up
Of the White office was not brought /
out Yesterday Mr.. Coates began TO
tell it, but vas halted oy counsel for
Dallas.
In tie preliminary criminal proceedings
black -unpnwder bought by Dallas was
identified by the man who sold il 10 him.
This Eunpowder according To the tes'i-
mony, was found In a bomb" that NJ.
Coates found attached 10 a burning fuse
in the office Of the jewelry firm.
Dallas had no children, Since the be-
ginning Of the two actions against him
he mad given up his fine home al Ardmore
and moved % more modest dwelling at
the sd street address