Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-08-08
AGED MAN COMMITS
SUICIDE BY LEAPING
FROM DIZZY HEIGHT
t, A, Brown, Aged G., Dives
HeadIong From Thirteenth
Floor of Fourth National
Bank Building

In full view of scores of people at
Five Points, Thomas A. Brown. book
keeper, of 232 West Peachtree street,
crouched on the ledge of a window of
the Fourth National Bank building,
thirteen stories above Marietta street.
and a moment later dived head-first TO
his death
The suicide happened shortly before z
clock Saturday morning. Several peo-
pie saw Brown jump. Within a few
minutes after his body crashed to the
sidewalk, the spot was surrounded by
hundreds. AS each incoming car reach
ed the center of the city, the crowd in
creased. Long after the body was re-
moved and the blood had been mopped
from the pavement, a dense mass of peo-
pie congregated on the corner in the
shadow of the tall building and across
the street, discussing the tragedy and
pointing out to each other the window,
high above, from which the dead man
leaped.
Mr.. Brown was 62 years old. For
two years he had been out Of work and
for six years he had been suffering from
malignant disease. Despite his condi-
ton, members of his family state that
he was cheerful and brave. His suicide
was a terrific shock to them.
At 6 o'clock Saturday morning Mr..
Brown left his West Peachtree street
home, telling his little son, Sam, aged
five, that he was going for the morning
walk which it was his custom TO take.
FROM DENTISTS OFFICE.
About $50 clock J. Z, Johnson, ele-
Vator man at the Fourth National Bank
building, says he took Mr.. Brown UP to
the thirteenth floor. The offices of DR.
j. d. Cromer are on the thirteenth floor
At one time he had treated Mr.. Brown.
His visits were discontinued not long
ago, says DR.. Cromer. but as one Of DIR.
Cromer's prescription blanks was found
in Mr.. Browns pocket, it is thought the
man was seeking his office.
At the end of the corridor on the
thirteenth floor Mr.. Brown must have
noticed an open door. 1t was in the Of
fee of DR.. NJ. e. Turner, a dentist, and
had been left open by the janitor that
morning while he was cleaning up. There
was no one in the office when Mr..
Grown entered, it is said.
A moment later ]. H. Bhkely, ne
gro, standing in the center of Five
Points, looked up and saw figure hud-
died on the window ledge outside of nr
Turner's office. The man poised there
a moment in the bright morning sun
shine, peering down at the sickening drop
to Marietta street. Then he flung out
both arms and dived as a swimmer dives
from a great height. Blakely was so
Mortified, he says, that he turned his
head away and did not see the body hit
the sidewalk.
NEARLY STRIKES PASSER-BY.
S. c. Daniels, of 352 West Third street,
was standing across the street in front
of Elkin's Drug store, and saw Mr..
Brown leap from the ledge. j. Van
burge, of 1875 South Forsyth street, was
walking along Marietta street pushingl
a bicycle. He says he looked up to see
the body whirling downward and stepped
aside barely in time to save being struck
Death was instantaneous. Mr.. Brown
hit headfirst about two feet from the
base of the building in almost the ex-
act center of the sidewalk His skull
was crushed, the bones of his legs were
broken, his whole body fearfully
mangled Blood was spattered across
the sidewalk and for several feet upward
on the side of the building.
Despite the gruesome sight presented
by the figure of the dead man with his
head half torn from his body. passers-
by crushed around it and craned their
necks over each others shoulders for
better view.
While Mr.. Brown left no note, there
Is little doubt that dependency over
his illness caused him to take his own
life. DIR. NJ. B. Hutchins, Browns
physician, says the latter visited him
at his offices in the Grand building Fri
day afternoon and was very respondent
at the time He had not been able TO
work for the last two years. The last
job he held was bookkeeper for Tom
Pitts.
Mr.. Brown is survived by his wife;
SIX daughters, Mrs. w. p. Mathews and
Misses Annie, Ruby. Macbeth, Nell and
Dorothy Brown, and two sons, Ned and
Sam Brown.
The body was quickly removed to
Harry G. Poole's undertaking establish
ment. An inquest was held there Sat
urday afternoon. The body was sent
to Mitchell, Ca, Sunday morning at 8
81