Evening star., 1936-03-11
CORONER, ,BAFFLED,
CALLS FOR PROBE
OF LIFT EQUIPMENT
Homicide Squad Detectives
Are Participating in
Investigation.
MANGLED BODY FOUND
AT BOTTOM OF SHAFT
Paul Junior High Student, IA,
Was Delivering Magazines at
Time of Apartment Tragedy.

Bafied by the strange death Of a.
year-old Harvey Crowell In a sup
posedly "fool-proof' electric elevator,
Coroner A. Magruder Macdonald to-
day ordered an inspection Of the equip
ment to determine whether any
human agency" figured In the trag-
edy.
The mangled body Of the Paul
Junior High School student was found
at the bottom of the shaft last night
by tenant in the apartment building
at 1911 Georgia avenue. The left
side of the boys face was crushed, the
soles of his shoes had been ripped
away and his clothing shredded.
DR.. Macdonald said he would order
an inquest only if the investigation by
District elevator inspectors indicates
some one had tampered with the ma
chinery.
Undoubtedly ething went
wrong with the equipment" the cor
oner said, but if it was purely me-
chanical accident there would be no
occasion for holding an inquest"
Dr. Macdonald made preliminary
investigation last night, but was un-
able to determine how the boy met
his death Homicide squad detectives
also are taking part in the investi-
cation.
Harvey, only son Of Mr.. and Mrs.
Roscoe H. Crowell, lived on the sec.
ond floor of the apartment house with
his parents. He had gone out after
dinner yesterday to deliver magazines
to some of his customers in the build
| ing. When he did not return at the
usual time, his father went out to
look for him.
At about 7:30 pm, Mr.. and Mrs.
George S. Wilson, who live on the
sixth floor, came in. Wilson pressed
the button for the automatic elevator,
but got no response. They started to
walk up and found the lift standing
at the second floor. Mrs. Wilson re-
manned there while her husband went
back to the first floor and pressed
the button again.
Saw Flash in Window.
Nothing happened for a few mo-
ments Then Wilson heard a noise
and saw something flash past small
diamond-shaped window in the ele-
vator door. He heard the falling OBJ
ject hit the bottom of the 4-foot pit.
At the same time, the lift started,
going up to the sixth floor. Wilson
couldn't get the door open, so he
called William Herbert, colored jani-
tor.
Herbert, too, failed to open the
door and repairmen from the COM
pany that sold the elevator were called
in. They smashed the door and
found the boys body in the pit. The
bag of magazines he had started out
to deliver was lying beside him.
Investigation disclosed that the
front of the elevator shaft was spat-
tered with blood to the sixth floor.
Apparently the body was jammed
beneath the lift at the second floor.
to deliver was found under the body.
tered with blood to the third floor.
preventing the car from moving. DR..
Macdonald said he believed the blood
stains got on the front wall when the
car shot up to the sixth floor after
the body had been released.
There are no cables under the eleva-
tor, a factor which bafaed investiga-
tors trying to find out how the body
was held in position when the car
jammed.
He was last seen by Stella Bassford,
10, of 7701 Georgia avenue, about Z
O'Clock. She said she saw him come
out of his apartment on the second
floor and go in the direction of the ele-
vator.
A check of the boys habitual maga-
zine route revealed he usually went to
the sixth floor of the apartment and
worked his way down. He did not
reach the sixth floor on his last de-
livery.
Harvey, who was president of the
first-year class at the Junior high
school, had about is magazines when
he started out. He had delivered about
10 at the time of the accident. Friends
said he had been using the elevator
for four years and was familiar with
its operation.
Lift Never Out of Order.
The janitor said that, so far as he
knew, the lift had never been out Of
order. Some time ago, however, a
dogs head was cut of when the ami
NAL was caught by the descending car.
Mr.. Crowell, a certified public ac-
countant, returned from his search
for his son just as the body was be-
ing removed from the pit. He made
the identification.
Going on up to his apartment, which
adjoins the elevator shaft, he met
his wife coming out. Mrs. Crowell
had been aroused by the noise when
the elevator door was broken open
and was on her way down to investi-
gate, o trip which would have led her
to the discovery Of the body of her
only child.