The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1922-07-07
ELEVATOR KILLS
LITTLE WHITE BOY
FREDERICK HENDERSON DIES
IN BANK BUILDING
Five Year Old Lad Falls and Head
Is Crushed Between Floor
and Wall
The State, July 2.

old son of Mr.. and Mrs. W. A. Hen
derson, living near Eastover, was al
most instantly killed yesterday morn
ing at 40 o'clock when ne fell
head foremost in an elevator IN the
Liberty National bank building. The
bows head was caught between the
floor of the car and an Offset under
exit No. 2 and mashed very badly.
The accident was witnessed by the
lads mother, who was taking him to
the office of chiropractor on the
seventh floor.
Last night the jury investigating
the death brought in verdic5 to the
effect, "That Frederick B. Henderson
came to his death by being caught
between the elevator and the floor CT
the Liberty National bank building"
- Operator Testi6es
Miss Cora Lee Manus testified that
she was operating the elevator at the
time of the accident. The car had
started to leave the ground floor and
the boy was standing about foot
and half from the door. The boy
fell forward without warning and his
head caught between the floor of the
car and the offset under exit No. Z.
The mother of the child made a des-
perate effort to save him, but failed.
Miss Manus brought the car to
standstill and lowered it to permit
the body to be released. She said
no one had given her instructions to
close the guard door," and she did
not think it was necessary. In an
swer to question, the witness said If
the car door had been closed the &C
cident would not have occurred.
W. H. Miller said he was a pas
senger on the car and saw the boy
when he fell. The child seemed to
lose his balance and topple over head
foremost toward the elevator door,
according to Mr.. Miller, the head be-
ing mashed when caught between
the car and a sectional part of the
wall of the building. Mr.. Miller said
the guard door" was not closed and
if it had been the boy would have
been protected. He commended the
young woman who operated the car.
She was cool and brave mad rendered
every possible aid.
C. G. Plexico said he was in the
car at the time of the tragedy and
that the boy had fallen to the floor
before his attention was directed to
the accident. He picked up the life
less body and laid it on the second
floor. He said the guard door" was
open and also testified he heard the
operators ask passengers to stand
back" at times when the car was full.
He thought there was room for four
other passengers at the time the boy
was killed
DR.. w. E. Fulmer said he examined
the body and found the head badly
crushed. He said there was frac-
ture on the left arm near the shoul-
der joint.
Combination Car
E. C.. Wilkinson, superintendent OF
the Liberty Bank building, explained
the carrying capacity of the two ele-
vators in the building. One is a pas
senger car and the other combina-
ton passenger and freight elevator.
The accident occurred on the combi-
nation car. He said the guard
door" on this car was used when
freight was being hauled, and if the
Etguard door" had been closed the ac-
cident would not have occurred. Mr..
Wilkinson said he was in the base
ment and his attention was attracted
when something fell down the eleva-
tor shaft. He ran to the point where
the accident occurred and made an
investigation.
Other witnesses who saw the body
of the boy were Lieutenant Swearin-
gen and E. Gillespie.
w. B Westberry and H. NJ. Starnes
explained the make Of elevator cars
in the Palmetto Bank building and
the National Loan and Exchange
bank building.
Coroner Scott examined the wit
nesses and the jury was composed Of
E. w. Luther, Harry Orenstein, E.
W. Stokes, J. W. Lever, j. R Thack-
am and W NJ Thomas.
Mrs. W A Henderson, mother of
the boy, was prostrated by the I'M
timely death of her son and was TAX
en- to the Columbia hospital where
everything possible was done to re-