Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1914-12-24
YOUNG GIRL LEAPS
TEN STOR|ESTO
INSTANT DEATH.
Miss Elizabeth Smith Jumps
From Upper Window in
Mutual Building.
'DESPONDENCY ASSIGNED
AS REASON FOR SUICIDE
Came Here From Durham, N. c.,
and Was Variously Employed
as Stenographer.
BOARDED ON SOUTH FIFTH
lfamediate Acquaintances in Rich
mond Unable to Account for
Rash Deed.
DESPONDENCY ASSIGNED
AS REASON FOR SUICIDE
BOARDED ON SOUTH FIFTH
Ihanediate Acquaintances in Rich
mond Unable to- Account for
Rash Deed.

Miss Elizabeth Smith. twenty-five
Years old, of IL South Fifth Street.
leaped from Il window on the tenth
floor Of the Mutual Building ut 800
O'Clock yesterday afternoon. and was
instantly killed when she struck the
concrete ana glass skylights in the
partially-incloscd court on the western
side %: the building. She was u native
of oxford. y. G. she is said to have
been in III health for several DAYS. aud
III" only reasun advanced for the
suicide Is that she was dcspondcnt on
account OF he" physical condition De-
,cctive Sergeant Wily saw the body Il
icw minutes after thc suicide. and
ordered IL turned over to Undertakcr
=. T. christian NO funeral arrange
inents VIII be made until the arrival
to-day OF th" young wornan's brothers
from Philadelphia and Hampton.
me suicid" Was "n" Of the most sen
sational that has occurred ia Richmond
within recent years. News Of the rash
act was quickly circulated IN tho
downtown section OF the city. and
"ithin Il few minutes the streets were
almost blocked with curiosity seekers.
VINO mad" every effort to pass the cor
don Of police and get u glimpse OF the
ihanglcd iigurc Which lay on the walk
way. che windows of the Mutual
BuildlnE were crowded with persons
from the various Offices, and for nearly
AN honr after the undertaken had re-
moved the body persons continued TO
crowd into the court and to rnzc for
minute aftcr minute at the spot where
the young womnn's body had fallen
SUPERINTENDENT FIRST
TO REACH GIRLS IBODS'
Superintendent William Parker. OF
the Mutual Building, was IN his office,
directly opposite the spot where the
body fell. when he was startled by the
sound OF Its impact against the stone
waikway. He hurriedly entered the
court, and was the FIRST person TO reach
the woman. She was already dead.
Ambulance Surgeon Walker. who ar
rived shortly afterwards. said tnat
death had probably been instnn-
taneous Superintendent Parker said
thai he judged from the sound Of the
body striking the wnikway that some
piece OF heavy mach!ncry had fallen
from window.
Il. c. Freeman. who occupies Office
'ois in the Mutual Building, is said
TO have been passing along the cor
ridor at the time Miss Smith climbed
into the window. The lower sash had
already beer raised ana the youn,,
woman WAS standing almost erect at
the time he saw her. Freeman at once
realized her intentions. and called to
her. ~ that instant she !capcd. Free
man turned and sped 10 the elevator
10y which he descended 10 the area
t'riStow. an insurance agent, with Of
ficcs on the tenth door. also noticed
the window. and rcmarkcd upon the
fact that il WAS raised. but did NOT
know of the suicid. until after he had
been N his oHic. several minutes.
STRIKES RAILING IN
DOWSWARD FLIGHT
The young woman is supposed to
have gone 10 the wo.nens waiting
room. from the window Of which she
leaped, about 3:25 O'Clock. she sprans
from the window about $40 O'CLOCK
In the descent her body struck an
iron railing, leading to y stairway
down TO the former Offices OF the Nir-
;;ina State Fair Association. The
body rcbounded aad crashed to ;hc
concrete walk below, where il lav Il
lifelcss. manglcd mass.
y vanity case carried by the young
woman was crushed. So too. was n
bracelet and several rings. portions of
which We're picked UP near the sDot
where her body was found Only the
nosc-picce ~ her glasses was found,
and her clothing was torn and de-
stroyed y trap on water drain
pipe directly under the stop on which
the body struck was shattered 20 bits
few inches in diameter, in suite OF
the fact that il was made OF cast iron
bars probably half an inch square.
Physicians stated that practically
every bone in the womans body was
hroken.
1t was with some difficulty that the
body was identified by the police. The
young woman carried absolutely moth
ing to indicate her lame or address
However, on a card issued by an en-
ployment bureau was found 4 single
telephone number and il was by this
means that persons in her boarding
house were notified OF her death The
number was that of the telephone OF
j. D. Bigger, ID South Fifth Street
He was given description OF the
clothing worn by the girl. and at once
came to the Mutual Building. He
identified the body as that OF Miss
Smith.
CAME FROM DURHAM
TO ATTEND SCHOOL
Egger said last night that Miss
Smith had como to Richmond from
Durham about two years ago to
attend n local business college. She
completed her course there. and Sc
cured work as Il stcnographer. 1t is
said that she was not compelled to
work for her support, as her brother
is we'll of financially. and aided he,
great deal. She worked but Il short
length OF time ut any one place, Bigger
said. and often for weeks at time
was without employment. For Il short
time she worked as stcnoGrapher
with the committee which labored for
the establishment of the Federal Ise-
serve Bank In this city. This was one
of the last positions she held
According to bigger, Miss Smiths
only relative i'm Richmond is Miss
Dorothy Webb, cousin. Of 103 South
Third street. whose home is In Boyd
Continued on Second Page.l