The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1914-11-17
THOS. |. BARNETT
FOUND DEAD IN
ELEVATOR SHAFT
Was Bookkeeper for John P. Glynn
and Roomed on Second
Floor of Warehouse.
USED ELEVATOR TO
GET TO HIS ROOM
Ran it Above the Floor, Steps Out,
is Injured and Afterward
Falls Down Shaft.

Thomas l.. Barnett, As years OLD,
boo11eeper Ior tne past ;wo years
at John p Glynn's warehouse on
Commercial avenue, was found dead
yesterday morning in the pit of the
elevator, about $50 o'clock, by
Lige Smith, the negro porter,
The exact manner of his death
may never be known as there were
no witnesses to the accident which
it is supposed caused his death.
The circumstances surrounding
the case, summed up makes it APP
pear that Barnett had gone to the
warehouse early Sunday evening to
go TO his room. That he went upon
the elevator to the second floor; ran
the elevator about two feet or more
above the floor and In the darkness
epped out and fell the distane,
from the floor of the elevator to the
floor of the house, falling upon his
face. Blood was found unon the
floor near where he had fallen. The
presumption is that he was dazed by
the shock aud injury, but recovered
sufficiently to wipe the blood from
his head anl placed the handkerchief
back into his pocket, AS the hand
kerchief was found in his pocket Gov
cred with blood He may nave agar
lapsed into Inconsistencies and il
maving about on the floor rolled to
the edge of the elevator shaft and
fell a distance of about 20 feet to
tho concrete pit or bottom of the
shaft. In stepping off TIE elevator
he had pulled a part of the gate
with him thus leaving an open
space through which he fell.
The theory that he might have
been murdered and robbed is not be-
lieved as he had In his pocket book
when found $37 in currency and 49
cents in change.
According to the evidence giva1
at the coroners jury yesterday aft
ernoon, held in the undertaking
rooms of Mrs. L. f. Falconer or
Sixth street, 1t was learned that
Barnett, who had a room in the
warehouse, on the second floor neaf
the elevator, was last seen ty John
T. Nichols who stated that he las'
saw Mr. Barnett about Z o'clock eat
ing his supper at his restaurant or
Fifteenth street and WaShingtc
avenue. He had been employed by
Mr.. Nichols for year previous tc
going to work for GIynn. Mr.. Mich
OILS says Barnett had been in de-
spondent mood ever since the death
of his father, which ccurred sew
eral weeks ago; that he had talked
TO him about his physical condition
and that he cared for lilo no longer
and even suggested that he felt like
doing away with himself
Dr. Woelfie testified that he had
treated Barnett for shortness o.
breath and an affection of the heart,
due tn heart lesion.
Barnett came to Cairo from Eddy
Vile, KY, his home. about three
years ago. His relatives there were
notified and a brother arrived last
night. The body will be taken to
Eddyville for burial, leaving here at
O'clock this morning on the Cairo
and Paducah train.
The verdict of the coroner's jury
was that Barnett came to his death
by a fracture of the skull, caused
by accidentally falling down the
elevator shaft at the Glynn ware
house.
The jury was composed of M. S.
Egan, Samuel West, S. J. Nicholson.
James Meehau, Joseph Gotthart and
James Casey. a. a