PoliticalGraveyard.com

Politicians: Death in Elevators and Escalators

Very incomplete list! in chronological order   Thomas Caute Reynolds (1821-1887) — also known as Thomas C. Reynolds — of Missouri. Born in South Carolina, October 11, 1821. U.S. Attorney for Missouri, 1853-57; Lieutenant Governor of Missouri, 1860-61; Confederate Governor of Missouri (in exile), 1862-65. Killed himself by leaping down an elevator shaft at the Customs House, St. Louis, Mo., March 30, 1887 (age 65 years, 170 days). Interment at Calvary Cemetery, St. Louis, Mo.   See also NNDB dossier   Isaac M. Jordan (1835-1890) — of Ohio. Born in Mifflinburg, Union County, Pa., May 5, 1835. Democrat. One of the founders of Sigma Chi fraternity in 1855; U.S. Representative from Ohio 2nd District, 1883-85. Member, Sigma Chi. Died from injuries received in an elevator accident in Cincinnati, Hamilton County, Ohio, December 3, 1890 (age 55 years, 212 days). Interment at Spring Grove Cemetery, Cincinnati, Ohio.   See also congressional biography — Govtrack.us page — NNDB dossier   Henry Bischoff Jr. (1852-1913) — of New York, New York County, N.Y. Born in New York, New York County, N.Y., August 16, 1852. Common pleas court judge in New York, 1895; Justice of New York Supreme Court 1st District, 1896-1913; died in office 1913. German ancestry. While taking an ascending elevator to his office in the Emigrants Industrial Savings Bank Building, he got off at the wrong floor, and while trying to re-enter the elevator, he hit his head on a door frame, smashing some glass, and fell about 150 feet down the elevator shaft to his death, in Manhattan, New York County, N.Y., March 28, 1913 (age 60 years, 224 days). Interment at Woodlawn Cemetery, Bronx, N.Y.   Relatives: Son of Henry Bischoff and Amelia (Bolte) Bischoff; married to Annie Louise Moshier.   See also Find-A-Grave memorial   William Porter Witherow (1888-1960) — also known as William P. Witherow — of Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa. Born in Allegheny (now part of Pittsburgh), Allegheny County, Pa., April 15, 1888. Republican. Engineer; steel executive; bank director; delegate to Republican National Convention from Pennsylvania, 1944. Presbyterian. Died, from a cerebral hemorrhage, in the elevator of the Farmers Bank Building, Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, Pa., January 7, 1960 (age 71 years, 267 days). Interment at Homewood Cemetery, Pittsburgh, Pa.   Relatives: Son of William Witherow and Alice May (Douglass) Witherow; married, December 3, 1913, to Dorothy Dilworth.   See also Find-A-Grave memorial   Gilbert J. DiNello (1935-1996) — of East Detroit (now Eastpointe), Macomb County, Mich.; Clinton Township, Macomb County, Mich. Born in Detroit, Wayne County, Mich., February 28, 1935. Real estate broker; member of Michigan state house of representatives 73rd District, 1973-78; member of Michigan state senate 26th District, 1979-94; defeated (Republican), 1994; candidate in Republican primary for U.S. Representative from Michigan 10th District, 1996. Catholic. Member, Knights of Columbus; Eagles; Lions. Died of a heart attack, on an escalator at the Somerset Mall shopping center, Troy, Oakland County, Mich., 1996 (age about 61 years). Burial location unknown.

"Enjoy the hospitable entertainment of a political graveyard." Henry L. Clinton, Apollo Hall, New York City, February 3, 1872

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