The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1922-05-26

| ~SSS@AS WI A6Q HOt a6CerG6ln-
ed this afternoon the direct
cause OF the grounding of tho
| current. He said that his in
| vestigaticn had not revealed
any evidence that the building
had been struck by lightning or
that the insulation on the wires
| feeding the elevator had been
| worn away.
Throughout the tragic affair
| last night the elevator remained
stationed on the top floor of the
| building.
The days business was finished in
the Fridus Furniture store at 243-
245 State ST.. Hammond. 1t was
| closing time last evening.
| There were four men in the store:
S. E. Fridus. one of the proprietors:
| Edward Frldus, his nephew; Julius
Rose. manager of the store, and Leo
Szwinski. clerk.
| FATE's MYSTERY SEEN
The men were in good humor,
without premonition of the trag-
edy that WIS fordestined to be
staged in the dim recess of the eie-
vator shaft in the basement.
Two men were destined to die.
The other two men were to
escape death by a miracle in the
most horrible experience OF tneir
lives.
In the office at the rear Of the
first floor the stenographer ratified
off the last letter of the day as the
manager turned the key in the door
through which customers entered.
WATER IN BASEMENT
The men stood chatting about the
weather. 1t had rained nearly all
day and there was water in the
basement, Strange that the sewer
did not carry of the water, one said.
Miserable weather for business, an
other mentione6. But a wonderful
| night to spend at home wit< the
wife and children, said the third
| man.
Then. as Fate decrced, Leo Szwin-
ski, 2s. 1904 Manistee ave, South
Chicago, the clerk. left the three
men and walked to his death.
GIVES LIFE IN RESCUE
n AcN cONC4A0o 46l-i EQWdI Fiji
dus. 20. 100 Garfield blvd, Chicago,
in an effort to rescue Szwinski, was
instantly killed
| That Sam Fridus. uncle Of Ed
| ward Fridus, and Julius Rose, man.
| ager of the store, are alive today is
| just as strange as the death of the
younger man.
HOW THEY MET DEATH
Young Fridus and Szwinski were
electrocuted by current grounded in
the water at the bottom of the cleo
trio driven freight elevator. 1t is
believed that the contract which
drew the current through their
bodies was made by taking hold Of
the elevator cable at the front OF
the shaft and the water in the pit.
DOUBLE TRAGEDY
The details of the double tragedy
as obtained from Sam Fridus and
Julius Rose are as follows:
Leo Szwinski. the clerk. walked
from the first floor to the basement
to lock the door OF the freight ele-
vator for the night. Sam Fridus
followed him downstairs to see how
the emergency sewer pump was
working. Fridus wore rubber
boots. The floor around the ele-
vator door was flooded.
Better take these boots" said
Fridus to Swinski,
Il don't need themf' said szwin-
ski My feet are already wet"
SAW sZWINSKI IN PIT
Fridus examined the pump under
the sidewalk and returned to the
rear of the basement on the way
upstairs. Passing the elevator ne
saw Szwinski lying on his back in
the pit with only head and shoul-
ders out OF the water. The boy
was dead. His back was against
the wall. There were two feet of
water in the pit.
Sam F'ridus was startled He
thought that Szwinski had tainted
and jumping into the water he
grabbed the younger man. Shock
after shock of electricity passed
through Fridus. He held the dead
weight of Szwinski and called for
help.
JUMPS INTO POOL
Edward Fridus came running
downstairs and jumped into the
pool. grabbing the steel wire ele-
vator cable. He crumpled over,
still holding to the cable.
At the heels OF Edward Fridus
was Julius Rose and as he reached
the door of the elevator the sight
he saw in the dim light shaft a
CHASTITY tableaux.
Giles FOR HELP
It was a chamber OF death. Leo
Szwinski and Edward Fridus were
dead and Sam Fridus was slowly
slipping to his knees under the ter
rible shocks of electricity which ap-
parently came to him through con-
tact with the body of SzwinslSi
which he held around the shoulders.
Help! Help! called Sam F'ridus.
My God man" shouted Rose.
My God. what has happened?"
Rose leaped into the pool and
grabbed the body of Edward Fridus
which was bent double. the hands
clinging to the cable. The current
knocked him back
GETS HELP NEXT DooR
Get help" moaned Sam Fridus
letting loose of the body of Szwinski
and taking hold of the body of his
neDhew