The New York herald., 1922-05-01
CRAINGER'S MOTHER
PLUNGES TO DEATH
Hundreds See Her Drop From
18th Story Of Aeolian
Building.
su1&E, EXAMINER SAYS
Mrs. Antonia Sawyer, Her
Partner, Tells of Australian
Woman's Illness.
sU18E, EXAMINER SAYS

Several hundred persons in Forty
second street and in Bryant Park saw
Mrs. Rose Granger. concert manager
and the mother Of Percy Granger.
tie Australian pianist, climb yester-
day afternoon from a window Of her
Office on the eighteenth floor of the
Aeolian Building, at 20 West Forty
second street. Mrs. Granger stood
for a moment on the window sill. look
ing downward, and then she threw
both hands above her lead and
plunged forward.
Her body turned over several times
and landed on the roof of the five
story building at % West Forty-sec-
ond street, smashing hole three feet
square in tie shingles and tiling OF
the roof. The screams of several
women among the crowd which wit
messed the jump attracted the atten-
stiou of policemen. and they rusaed
up the stairs of the Aeoiian Building
in time to find Mrs. Grainger's busi-
ness manager. Mrs. Antonia Sawyer.
trying to open tie door of the Office.
which had been locked.
Police Force Lock.
The police forced the lock and went
into Mrs. Grainger's office They found
the window open. and looking downward.
they saw the body of the woman lying
on the roof fourteen stories below them.
Even at that distance they could see
her move about family.
Other policemen had hurried up the
steps and elevators OF the building onto
which Mrs. Granger had fallen. They
found her still alive. but her skull had
been crushed and she had suffered in
ternal injuries. so that she died before
an ambulance surgeon. .ouid take her to
a hospital.
Or. Benjamin NJ Vance, assistant
medical examiner. said last night that
from what the police told him he had de-
cided AIRS. Granger committed suicide
He said:
"I am forced to make this report after
what the police told me. ] have no other
alternative in the matter"
The police OF the West Forty-seventh
street station recorded the death on the
blotter as "suicide? Later this was
amended to read "either fell or jumped"
SO far as could be learned last night
Mrs. Granger had no reason to commit
suicide and nothing had occurred recent
ly that led her friends to believe that she
contemplated such action. She had. how
ever. been i'll with a stomach complaint
for some time, and had told Mrs. Saw
ho,- main vrag ratbar spypre "A nd thar
she felt very despondent over her illness.
Mrs Granger. who Is said to be worth
several million do liars and who had for
some time conducted an extensive ccn-
cert business. lived at Cromwell place
White Plains. Yesterday morning she
came to New York with Mrs. Sawyer.
who manages her Office and also man
ages the concert tours of Percy Granger
because she felt i'll and wished change
of scene. She did not go to the oilice
to work. but said that she would rest On
the couch while Mrs. Sawyer attended
to the business.
HAD Been Suffering.
Several times during the morning.
Mrs. Granger complained OF pain. and
shortly after noon she asked Mrs. Saw
yer to go TO drug store for medicine TO
relieve her. Mrs. Sawyer went at once
ana Wnen SDc retuTucu sic loullu tHc
door locked. II Is believed that during
the absenco OF Mrs. Sawyer the pain got
so severe that Mrs. Granger. either los
ing her mind temporarily or deciding TO
end 1t, went TO the window and jumped
out, first locking the door TO insure
against interruption.
Mrs. Granger was the widow of John
n. Granger, an architect and engineer
OF Australia. She was so years old and
came to the United states with her son
from England in 1915
Los ANGELES, Cal. April 30.--New5 OF
the death In New York of Mrs. Granger
reached Los Angeles this afternoon while
Percy Grainger was conducting con-
cert OF his compositions by the Los An
eeles Philharmonic Orchestra.
He was rot notified OF the accident
which cost his mothers life until after
the concert, when he said he would leave
Immediately for New York.
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