Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-08-15
WOMAN JUMPS TO
DEATH in VIEW
OF WORKINGNIEN
Caught by Line Workers as
She Floated Down
the River
FAILED IN FIRST EFFORT
Police Seek Identity of Most
Spectacular Suicide in
Recent Years
FAILED IN FIRST EFFORT

Her dress pinned againSt her
body, a woman of apparently 65
years, and as yet unidentified, COM
mitted suicide about 1920 o'clock
this morning, when she jumped
thirty-five feet from the railing on
the side of the Walnut street bridge
into the Susquehanna river. She
was practically dead when pulled
from the water. score of persons
watched the suicide and joired in
the effort to save the woman.
Caught by spectators as she was
floating beneath the Market street
bridge after being in the water
about fifteen minutes. she was
drawn by rope onto the bridge.
First-aid efforts by physicians,
coupled with their efforts with the
Harrisburg Hospital pulmotor when
it reached the scene of the occur
renee, proved futile. A large guam
tity of water was drained from her
lungs without result.
Failed First Time
Gatekeepers at the eastern end of
the Walnut street bridge reported
that she had paid her toll and walked
utes before they heard her cries,
uttered just Il few seconds after she
hit the water.
1t was on her second attempt TO
throw herself over the railing that
she was successful according to
story told by linemen of the Amer
lean Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany According to their story, the
woman. after starting on the right
side of the bridge, crossed to the
left side when she was between the
second and third piers and climbed
on the railing. Attempting to bal
ance herself with the aid of a stick
which she carried, she slipped back
when she reached the rail next to
the top.
Linemen called to her, but she
again climbed on the railing, poised
for an instant at the top and then
threw herself over into the water.
Several cries for help were uttered
by her soon after striking the water,
despite the deliberateness of her
attempt.
Cast Out Rope
Working on the top of the bridge,
the linemen of the American Tele-
phone and Telegraph Company hur-
ried towards the floor of the bridge
Immediately after the Woman's first
attempt but were unable to prevent
her second successful effort. Real
izing this, they grabbed the heavy,
long ropes with which they were
working and fastened to the point
from which she threw herself into
the waters.
Ropes were cast to her, but were
of insufficient length and no effort
To hv n
drowning woman. Several members
of the party were dispatched in eff
| forts to get boat to attempt to
save the woman while others
| hsstened toward the Market Street
| Bridge.
| Comes to Surface
Struggling in apparent attempts
| to save herself, the woman is re-
ported to have come to the surface
several times, but when halfway be-
tween the two bridges, she sank be-
meath the surface and floated
down stream.
| Noticing the woman floating rap
! idly toward the bridge, the four
! linemen and others who had hastily
/ gathered in the meantime, prepara-
tionS were hastily made to lower one
! OF the persons from the Market
! street bridge to the water, to grasp
the woman as she passed beneath
! the bridge.
Warren Anderson, 237 Prune
street, a bricklayer, who was sit
ting in the park along the river
front at the time of the event, at
once volunteered himself and after
removing his shoes, was speedily
| lowered, with the heavy rope en-
! circling the chest by the four line
men who had hastened from the
upper bridge. These men were
! Charles Goodling, Brooks Reeder,
Peter Jeckell and Paul Gadreau.
Caught at Market Street
Floating beneath the surface of
the water, the body was grasped by
Anderson, who speedily fastened the
rope about it and gave the signal
for the men to pull it up, while he