Evening star., 1948-11-08
Police Probing Fall
OF Newspaperman
AT Press BuiIdinq


vestigated by police today, six days
after another man fell to his death
few feet away in the same down.
town alley.
The victim, George E. Donaldson,
%, Washington correspondent for a
chain of New York State newspapers,
was killed about 1870 am. yesterday
in a drop from his Office in the Ma
tional Press Building.
The spot in an alley separating
the 1900 blocks of E and F streets
NV, was not far from where the
body of James D. Heinlein, 34-year-
old attorney, fell last Monday. The
coroner said MFR. Heinlein had
rmped from the roof of the Munsey
Building, across the alley from the
National Press Building.
Two Witnesses Tell of Plunge.
Two witnesses saw Mr.. Donald
sons body strike the ground. VIII
liam c. Stanley, 637 F street NV,
a furniture maker, said he was
standing near the end of the alley
with his back to the press building
when he heard a crash. It was the
body striking a tin roof about 20
feet above.
Mr.. Stanley said the body hit
the roof on its head, then struck
the alley on its back The witness
hailed a cab and told the driver
to summon a police scout car. Mr..
Donaldson was pronounced dead at
HAS am.
The other witness, Martin l..
Kite, jr., 81, of 1709 New Hamp-
shire avenue NV, had driven a
restaurant supply truck into the
alley. He happened to look up when
the body was only two or three
stories from the top and saw it
crash to the ground.
Had Held Job 1S Months.
Formerly connected with the
Syracuse IN. " Herald-Journal,
Mr.. Donaldson had been associated
with the James j. Butler News Bu-
reau for 18 months.
No notes were found in the office
or at the private home at 59O4 Con-
necticut avenue NV, where MIR.
Donaldson roomed.
Only Friday, the young man,
whose taste generally ran to sport
coats, had purchased a blue suit.
Both his landlady and his employer,
Mr.. Butler, noticed that he wore it
Saturday.
He was smiling and cheerful
about 10 am. Saturday when he
asked If he could not get away
about $780," Mr.. Butler said. st
told him he could leave right away,
but he said there was no hurry"
Mr.. Butler, who praised Mr.. Dom
aldson's conscientious and intelli-
gent work as reporter, said he had
not missed any days because of i'll
health, but another source quoted
members of the family as saying he
was not in the best of health.
His landlady said Mr.. Donaldson
left the house about 9 a. m. yester-
day. 1t was not unusual for him
to drop into the office and 20
through the mail. He was not wear
ing his new suit.
Mr.. Butler had visited his office
briefly before Mr.. Donaldson ar
rived and noticing the window open,
closed it. The window is the type
III which the lower panel swings in
ward toward the room, and in front
| of it is radiator.
Accidental Fall Difs;cult
Police pointed out that unless a
man took pains to thrust his head
through the aperture, for instance
to get a better view, it would be
difficult for him to fall out acci-
dentally.
Mr.. Donaldson's hat was on table
and his mail was unopened. Although
he smoked steadily, the ash tray was
clean. Mr.. Butler said the man drank
very little.
After graduating from st. Brigid's
High School in Syracuse in 1910, MIR
Donaldson began work on the
Herald-Journal as a copy boy. He
was made member of the staff two
years later, and in 1947 came to
Washington to cover a national SPELL
ing bee. 1t was then he met Mr..
Butler and inquired about the job
he accepted 18 months ago.
His survivors, all living in Syra-
cuse,, include his mother, Mrs. Mary
Donaldson; a sister, Mrs. Walter j.
jackson, and two brothers, John and