Perth Amboy evening news. [volume] (Perth Amboy, N.J.) 1903-1959, 1923-12-26
MAN DIED Of
BROKEN NECK
Charles Peteson's Death In
vestigation is Continued by
City and County Officials
INQUEST THIS MORNING
Autopsy Will be Performed
This ."fternoon-Tragedy
on State Bridge
INQUEST THIS MORNING

After an all day investigation by
the police and a coroner's inquiry
this morning into the death OF
Charles peterson, thirty-one year old
rigger and dock builder, of 192
sherman street, which occurred at
he state bridge early yesterday
morning the cause of the fatality Is
given as a broken neck. An autopsy
by the county physician will be
made this afternoon.
It is the belief of the authorities
that Peterson who evidently had iR
bibed quite freely in liquor, had
staggered through the bridge railing
to the ground below, a point about
opposite the engine room or the
Chesebrough Vaseline works. The
police, 1t is claimed, are in receipt
Of information that the man rested
his head on one arm for a moment
or more afer hitting the ground,
and then rolled over dead.
Following receipt of a report from
the Chesebrough plant at about
o'clock Yesterday morning, Acting
Lieutenant George Kozusko detailed.
Acting Sergeant John Reager and
Chauffeur Barney Toolan to the
state bridge. They were detailed to
investigate a report that man was
killed by a fall and upon their ar
rival at the bridge learned that there
was another accident, q car driven
by Frank Froat, of Garwood, having
slIdded and bumped into the bridge
railing, In the car with Froat was
Alma Mime, of 354 Washington
street. who was returning to a sis
ters home at South Amboy, after
bringing her mother home from
church.
Froat was sent to headquarters
where he made a statement to the
lieutenant. The acting sergeant
made an investigation and learned
from John Repi. of 311 Convery
place, a fireman in the Vaseline
works, that n scream had been
heard pr.or to the finding of the
man. This scream. the police learn
ed, was caused by the girl when the
,ar skidded.
After reporting the scream to the
engineer, Louis Lonseth, of 1877
SHERMAN street, Repi and the en-
gineer started out with a light to
investigate a sound resembling that
os a body hitting the ground. I'm
der the bridge near the railroad
tracks and large pipes leading to the
Vaseline works, was found the body
If Peterson.
Coroner J. S. Hay was notified by
Tho police and after his arrival at
the scene, gave permission for the
removal of the body to Undertaken
Eugene Mullen's undertaking es-
tablishment where the coroner made
his external examination this morn
ing The body was later removed to
md IA u iTfpr mar
lors where County Physician John l..
Suydam will make the autopsy at 3
o'clock this afternoon.
Froat's Story
On orders from Sergeant Reager,
Froat went to headquarters and told
Acting Lieutenant Kozusko that on
curve near the Chesebrough plant
his car skidded and bpmped into the
railinr. He got out of his car to
make an examination and to notify
,ther autoists about the slippery
condition. A Studebaker car gong
rorth came along and offered ASSIST
lnce but according to Froat notning
,ould be done so the StudepaKer
,rove on. A drunken man beheVed
n have been Peterson, also was
,bout Froat's car trying to assist,
Troat claimed. The Studebaker
.gain returned and after again Of
'erino assistance drove off.
The girl in Froat's car was hyster-
ical IL is said. and her companion
had to take her from the bridge,
Leaving the drunk and car behind
when Froat returned to the bridge
the drunk was gone and his atten-
tion was called by the Vaseline com
pany employees who had found the
body. ,-,
Detectives Murray and Gutowski
we're detailed on the case YESTERDAY
and at noon, the former identited
Peterson. who formerly worked on
he railroad. The detectives visited
he home of Peterson's sister in Me-
7hanicsville where Peterson and his
L.ife had visited the night before
and also made an investigation In
his city. Froat and the Mime girl
we're at headquarters again iast
light and told what they knew, pu'
as far as is known neither has seen
the body of the man found under
the bridge.
The detectives report that Peter
son left Mechanicsville about mid
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