Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1915-08-16
FAILS FROM WINDOW
AND DIES INSTANTLY
JESSE r. FRENCH, ST. LOUIS
TRAVELLING MAN, MEETS
SUDDEN DEATH.
PITCHES HEADLoNG FROM
PILGRIM HOTEL WINDOW
Skull Fractured and Both Arms Broken
When Man Drops From Fourth
Story and Strikes Iron Railing About
Basement Window Coroner Lynn
Inclined to Think Death Accidental.

Falling headlong from a fourth story
window of the Pilgrim Hotel to the ce-
ment sidewalk below. a distance OF
about forty feet, Jesse r. French, aged
about 45, was instantly killed at 1910
this morning. His skull was fractured
both arms We're broken, and his face
was badly crushed by the force of the
fall French lived at Kirkwood, Mo-.
a suburb of ST Louis, and travelled for
the James H. Forbes Tea and Coffee
Company, of ST. Louis.
Altho no one knows just how French
happened to fall out of the window, it
is practically certain that it was ac-
cidental. 1t is thought that he sat
down on the window sill to smoke and
dropped off to sleep falling out back
wards. He was entirely unclothed.
Clerk Hears Thud Of Body.
c. H. Ferris, night clerk at the Pill
grim was eating his lunch in the din
ing room little after midnight when
he heard a thud as of a heavy body
striking the sidewalk in front of the
dining room on the south side. He
the sidewalk at the southeast corner
of the building. The body had fallen
in straight line from the window of
room 32s, striking the iron railing in
front of the cellar windows. then
bounding off and falling in a heap on
the sidewalk Had French jumped from
the window it would have been almost
impossible for him to fall so close to
49, q
called and the body removed to the
Sirnkins &: Estel ind erteking parlors
French's wife and firm were notified
The coroner is inclined to believe that
the death was accidental.
Last Seen Alive at 1890.
French came in on train No. 10 from
Cedar Rapids at 500 Sunday evening
and registered at the Pilgrim. He
talked with day clerk. NJ S. Copeland
and r. y. Selby. proprietor Of the no.
tel. In the evening he sat in the lob-
by until about go, when he went to
his room and wrote letter and clean
ed up his order book. About 1920 he
came down and mailed his letter at the
desk. got a pitcher OF ice water, and
went UP stairs.
Previous to this Miss Betty Haines
been talking to French in his room.
she having known French for some
time. She asked him for an envelope.
and said he seemed IN his usual good
spirits. After French had mailed his
letter. and was going into his room. he
saw Miss Hanes down the hall and
waved to her. This was the last time
he was seen alive.
In his room he had evidently writ
ten ~. some orders as his order
books. fountain pen and pencil We're
living on the table His clothes We're
also hung up in orderly fashion. Sew
eral ciyaret stubs Were in the cuspi-
dor. and one cigaret left in a package
on the table. An empty whiskey bottle
was on the dresser. The window sill
is only about foot from the floor. and
it is supposed that French sat down
on the sill to smoke, went to sleep
and fell over backwards. The screen
was torn from the top as If he had
pitched out head first.
French's home address was o17 East
Main street. Kirkwood. Mo. and his
firms address is COS Clark avenue, st.
Louis r. y. Selby. proprietor of the
PILGRIM. said French was tovial man
and always seemed in good spirits. He
said he had never known him to use
LIQUOR in any quantity. 1t is not
known to whom the letter was written
which French mailed before going to
his room the last time. and 1t may
have been the orders to his firm.
French was married and had three
children. He was well known at the
hotel, where he had been coming Tor
several wears.