The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1918-08-19
James Bransons Skull
Crushedon Concrete Street
Paving as a Result of Do
ing the Human Spider Act

| James Branson died early Saturday
evening following the fall from the
side OF a building into concrete paved
Lucas avenue which crushed his
skull, few hours previously.
! He worked at his duties in the
mailing department of The Gate City
while the first mail edition was going
out. When the press stopped for a
few minutes to change plates for the
next edition, Branson left without his
absence being noticed, and within
five minutes he was lying unconscious
and bleeding on the concrete.
He evidently FASTENED upstairs to
room not a part of the building
rented by The Gate City in order TO
do d human spider stunt before the
press started again. Men and boys
around the Alley Inn lunch car saw
him emerge from window which he
lowered after himself. An account
OF what occurred next Is given by
Junius Phillips, son OF Bert Phillips,
a motorman on the street railway, as
follows:
Doing Difficult Feat.
On the level of the second story
windows is an ornamental course of
brick projecting few inches from
the wall, and at intervals there are
vertical pilasters of brick projecting
the same distance. Branson walked
along the narrow projection from one
window to the next one, a distance
of several feet and past plaster.
Soon after he started, a loose brick
fell to the ground. His only hand
hold was TO the corners of the win
dows and of the plaster. He got
safely to the adjoining window and
started to return.
While astride the vertical plaster
half way between the windows, he
seemed to stick and be unable to pro-
coed. He called out to look out be-
low as he kicked loose another loose
brick. Clarence J. Ferris called to
him to hold still and ladder would
be raised to him, but Branson
answered that he did not need lad
der. Ferris turned to get one, how
ever, and had taken only a few steps
when Branson fell.
Fell on His Head.
AS he fell, he threw his body side
ways in an effort to catch some in
sulated electric wires which are at
tached to the building there. His
fingers of one hand closed on the
WIRE but the momentum of his fall
was so great that they held only
and the maneuver failed
to lessen the force of his fall. 1t
did throw his body over enough for
his feet or legs to strike the wires
and keep him in vertical position.
head down.
Blood gushed from his mouth and
nose in large quantity His breath
ing stopped for couple of minutes.
DR.. G. Walter Barr, who was near.
succeeded in starting his breathing.
and several men rushed TO his assist
ance. In a short time DR.. VIM. M.
Hogle arrived and took young Bran
son to the hospital A thorough
examination disclosed a bad fracture
OF the base of the skull and another
on the front, top and side of his head.
There was no hope of his recovery
from the first.
Had Been Doing Dangerous Stunts.
People in the neighborhood saw
that young Branson has been doing
the human spider act on the facades
Of buildings for some time. Recently
he climbed along the entire rear of
the old Olympic pool hall from win
dow to window, and at various times
has climbed over the reas of the
WINGED on ono onint that n icp't onv