A Wife Arrived Too Late: The Theater-Builder's Fatal Fall

H. M. Jones, a carpenter who was working on the Seattle Theater building at the corner of Third and Cherry streets, fell headlong from the wall to the sidewalk twenty-five feet below about 3:30 o'clock yesterday afternoon. He sustained injuries from which he died an hour and a half later.

The front or Third Street wall of the building is completed to the floor of the third story, and yesterday the carpenters were putting the rafters in place. On top of the wall, for protection from the weather, common board covering was placed. The rafters, which are very heavy timbers, were raised with ropes inside the building from the floor to the top of the wall. Jones, in coming to the assistance of the men on the wall, slipped on the covering. The board slid to one side and Jones, losing his balance, went over the wall head first. S. Bergin, another workman, who stood directly below, saw him fall and barely missed being crushed to the sidewalk by him. In his fall Jones' left shoulder struck some rafters which projected through a window and he bounded off, falling headlong to the sidewalk below. Blood spurted from his head at a point two inches back from the left ear.

The men who saw the accident rushed to the groaning man's aid. He was insensible, but moaned in a piteous manner. Jones was removed to Providence Hospital, where he vomited a large quantity of blood and grew weaker rapidly. Drs. P. B. M. Miller and John Wotherspoon were in attendance. Dr. Miller examined the patient and decided that the skull was not fractured, neither was the left shoulder broken, but the vomiting of blood gave evidence of internal injuries. At 4:15 o'clock Dr. Miller said that the patient had sustained such a general shaking up that he could not live and advised sending for his wife. This was done, but before she arrived he breathed his last. From the time he struck the sidewalk to the last breath he did not rally in the least.

The dead man leaves a wife and six children, all girls except one, a 9-year-old boy. He lived on Day Street, between Market and Bush streets. The neighbors speak highly of him and his family. One man said last night: "He was as fine a man and as good a neighbor as I ever had." Jones came from Illinois and was a member of Lake Lodge, No. 68, Knights of Pythias. No arrangements for the funeral services have been made.

Coroner Horton investigated the case last evening and decided that an inquest was unnecessary, all circumstances pointing to accidental death. All members of Lake Lodge, No. 68, are requested to meet at the lodge hall this morning at 10 o'clock to confer in respect to the funeral services.