The Birmingham age-herald., 1914-02-10
Head Crushed in American
Trust Building Last
Night
NOT KNOWN EXACTLY
HOW IT HAPPENED
Elevator Boy Is Dazed-Says He Does
Not Know How Mr.. Jarvis Was
Caught-Chalifoux Only
Saw Body Fall

was almost instantly Killed in an ele-
vator accident at the American Trust
building about o'clock last night.
The exact manner in which the acci-
dent occurred is not known as the ele-
vator boy, Alexander Edwards, declares
he does not know how it happened and
the only othe5 eyewitness was II. A.
Chalifoux, watchman for the building.
| and he first had his attention drawn by
seeing the body fall from the elevator
into the ground floor lobby. He at
tempted to catch hold of Mr.. Jarvis but
missed him and the body fell into the
basement
The theory of the officers who investi-
gated was that Mr.. Jarvis had entered
the elevator on the ground floor and
that the door did not close tight and his
head caught on the enclosure as the car
went up thus throwing him back out
into the corridor. His head was badly
crushed.
Edwards, the elevator boy, was ar
rested and lodged in Jail at once on a
charge of murder. He lives at 2O22
Eighth alley, and says he has been run
ming an elevator for eight years He ap-
peared dazed by the accident and could
say practically nothing about it, He said
that he stopped the elevator when he
heard someone call from the ground floor
that a man had fallen.
Mr.. Jarvis was 81 years old and
lived at 114S South Twelfth street. He
had been with the Sloss company IA
years. He is survived by his widow,
who was formerly Miss Palmer of
In a n MA,
Wis and one grandson. Jarvis Aldridge
The remains will be taken to Eutaw
this morning at 10 o'clock for inter-
ment.
ChalifOux's Version of Accident
81 was standing about a half dozen
feet away" said Watchman Chalifoux,
but my face was turned. However,
l looked around in time to see the
body of Mr.. Jarvis jerked up and then
dropped to the edge of the first floor
landing. / jumped forward to grab
| il hut it slipped out of my grasp and
went to the bottom of the shaft.
Mr.. Jarvis was we'll known to me
and l can't understand just how the
accident happened. Mr.. Jarvis uttered
no cry when his head was caught by
the elevator and he must have been
| killed instantly
Immediately after the accident /
yelled at the elevator boy to lower his
| car. He did and we went down to the
Easement where we found the body of
Mr.. Jarvis very badly mangled. ] sum-
moned the police and Shaw's ambu-
| lance"
Eagan Makes Investigation
Acting Chief of Police Martin Eagan,
who investigated with Officers Moser
and Garner about an hour after the
accident, discovered some hair and
olots of blood on the frame work above
the elevator door and this fact caused
the negro Edwards to be locked up for
murder as it controverted his story.
81 ordered Officer Malone to place
a charge of murder against the elevator
boy. Alec Edwards said Chief Eagan.'
because that charge will hold him until
Coroner Charles Spain can institute
formal inquest and determine the re-
sponsibility for the accident.
This boy Edwards tells me that he
did not see Mr.. Jarvis and yet we found
hair and blood on the top of the door
way of the elevator landing, showing
that the body had been on the car or
had been dragged up there by the car
and in either case the elevator boy
could not have avoided seeing the vic
tim"
Spangler Tells Condition of Body
Earl Spangler of Shaw & Sons,
who was deputized by Coroner Spain to
conduct a preliminary investigation,
stated:
III A. Chalifoux, the night watch
| man, appears to have been the only
eyewitness, and on his account of the
accident I have advised the police to
place the negro boy, Alexander Ed
wards. under bond to await the formal
inquiry of Coroner Spain. Although
Jarvis fell only "A distance of 22 feet
he was badly mangled. His injuries
showed that he must have had his
head caught by the. car and crushed
against the iron frame work protecting
the elevator shaft"
Alexander Edwards, the negro boy.
stated at the city Jail that he knew
absolutely nothing of the accident
"Between me and glory, cap said
Edwards, 81 am telling you the truth
and all / know of this is that Usp
CnalifouX hollers someone has fallen in
the cellar and comes down and sees
| Mr. Jarvis dead. This Mr.. Jarvis is
very nice man and treats all us boys
good. | amt never seen Mr.. Jarvis
at all tonight, 'cept after he was dead.
| Scores of friends of the deceased ap-
| peared at the morgue of Warner &
Smiley last night to view the remains.
| All were saddened by the sudden,
shocking death of their business as
| sociate and comrade.
President Crawford Out of City
| Owing to the absence from the city
| last night of w. W. Crawford presi-
dent of the American Trust and Saw
| ings bank, official statement on
| the accident was unobtainable. Henry
J.. Badham, vice president of the bank,
said that his information as to the
| tragedy was not complete and ne
would not make any comment upon 1t
at this time and would prefer IN
any event that President Crawford
make whatever statement he thought
proper under the circumstances.
Mr.. Badham would say nothing ex-
cept that he greatly lamented the af-
fair, expressing his acquaintanceship
with Mr.. Jarvis and adding that he
was fnexpressibly shocked to learn of
the tragic accident