Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1920-02-28
SOLDIER HERO IN
ELEVATOR CRASH
lmprovises Tourniquet to Save
Woman When She Is
Caught In Shaft
YOUNG OPERATOR IS HELD

Presence Of mind Of man who
served nineteen months in France as
= hospita' sergeant saved the life of
Mrs. Rnbecca Richmond. thirtv-f five.
'fter she had been dragged between an
elevator car and shaft and terr'blv in.
'nred in hui'dins on Thirteenth
street. above Race, at 8 10 o'clock yes
terday afternoon.
Wedeed between the car and the
shaft. after the car had fallen to the
Nottom Of the building ard rebounded tc
the top floor. Mrs. Richmond was
Needing from deep gashes in her right
leg.
s. A. Dickinson. former hospita'
sergeant in France. helpcd extricate tho
woman with the aid Of a crowhar. and
then seeing that she was ranid'v bleed
ing to death. he rushed into leather
shop on the seventh floor. returne~
shortly with several leather strips and
making a tourniquct Of them. stopped
the flow Of blood.
Later, at Hahnemann Hospital. phy-
eicians sold that the prompt action nv
the hospital sergeant, who had given
frst aid to many American wounded
during the war. was instrumental in
saving the life Of Mrs. Richmond. who
IL widow with two small children.
Car Suddenly Dropped
Dickinson said there were sixteen
messengers jammed in the elevator he
sides the operator when the car sud
donlv dropped from the fourth floor Of
the building.
As women screamed and men shouted
Howard White. the negro operator,
reversed the lever of the plung-
ing car. 1t struck the air cushion with
torrific momentum and then rebounded.
Apparently White lost all control Of
the car. which slackened from the re-
bound at the fourth foor. but continued
toward the ton Of the shaft.
At the sixth floor. Dickinson saws.
the onerator opened the elevator door
and umped to the landing. Mrs. Rich
mond who standing near the door,
either tried to follow the operator or
was pushed by the hysterical women
behind her.
She did not reach the landing. but
was caught between the shaft and the
car, which continued upward. For two
floors the car dragged her. while her
leg was being crushed between the cur
and the side Of the shaft.
Women Hysterical
Several women became hysterical at
the sight.
William and David Polack, skirt
manufacturers, were on the seventh
floor, and saw the elevator moving up
ward without an operator. They also
heard the screams Of Mrs. Richmond.
They rushed up to the eighth floor
and as the crowded car settled David
Pollack tried to tear the heavy eleva-
tor door open with his hands. Failing
in this. he procured a crowbar and
pricd the door.
Dickinson and Pollack helped the
passengers from the car. They thought
Mrs. Richmond had tainted, until they
discovered her body was wedged. She
MY poor babies, my poor babies!" she
murmured.
Woman Describes Accident
Mrs. Anna Bezner, 1855 North AL
den street. an employe in the building,
was a passenger on the elevator.
II told White" she said. =, please
don't put any more people in here
after we had left the sixth floor. The
elevator IL Jammed so tight we can
hardly breathe Then White turned
around and said. Say, who's running
this elevator anyhow kept still un-
til we struck the bottom and started
back again. 1t was so terrible we had
hardly time to think.
when the dust cleared away little
! saw White trying the doors as we
went by the different floors. I thought
he was trying to get out and cried
Please don't leave us, oh, pleased
started to pray and try to comfort the
other women who couldn't pray
Just before midnight Alexander Bal
ids. u student, who lives at Minerstown.
Pa. gave quart of his blood in a
TRANSMISSION operation in an effort to
save Mrs. Richmond A crippled tele.
phone operator at Hahnemann offered
to submit to the operation, but his Of
fer was declined.
White was held in 5000 bail for a
further hearing next Wednesday by
Magistrate Grelis, in the eleventh and
Winter streets station. He was charged
with perjury. Police say he swore he
was eighteen when he applied for an
operatOr's license. The police declare