A Fatal Fall, William Stiles Toppled Down an Embankment at the Parmelee Malt House, The Auburn NY Weekly News and Democrat, 8 Dec 1897
“A Fatal Fall,” The (Auburn NY) Weekly News and Democrat, 8 Dec 1897, p. 8, col. 2; A Fatal Fall, William Stiles Toppled Down an Embankment at the Parmelee Malt House. William Stiles, aged 24 years, of 19 Frances street, died Monday morning at 9 o’clock of fracture of the spine, the result of a fall Sunday afternoon about 3 o’clock at the Parmelee malt house in Barber Street. The details of the accident are not well known and at first there was a suspicion of foul play, as a man who was with Stiles Sunday morning could not be found Monday nor could his name be learned. Certain words which Stiles kept repeating during Sunday night rather tended to strengthen the suspicion of foul play. Stiles would say nothing when questioned as to how he was injured except to repeat on several occasions: “Dead men tell no tales.” This is all Stiles would say when questioned and he died without giving out any of the desired information to either Coroner John D. Tripp, who attended him, or the police. It was about 3:20 Sunday afternoon when James McCabe, who is employed at the malt house, was notified by a man that Stiles had been injured. Mr. McCabe, Allison Peterson, a man named Slattery, and the man who had been with Stiles assisted him into the boiler room. The man who was with Stiles said he would go after a doctor and also call a buck to remove Stiles to his home. he was gone a long time, but neither a doctor nor the buck came. In the meantime Dr. Frank D. Putnam had been called and gave the man some aid.
Stiles’ brother had been notified of the accident and toward evening reached the boiler room. Stiles had complained of a pain in the back of his head and neck, when he was picked up and he continued to complain. He was not at any time unconscious but was in great pain. When his brother reached the malt house, he at once send word for the ambulance and the injured man was removed to his home at 19 Frances Street. Coroner John D. Tripp was summoned about 11 o’clock and gave him what aid he could. Stiles in his fall had evidently struck against a slope fracturing his spine, and despite the efforts of the physician, he died next morning about 9 o’clock.
It is supposed that Stiles was on his way for a visit at the malt house. It was learned that Stiles had gone to the office door fronting on Barber street. The door was locked and Stiles started to go around to the boiler room door in the rear. He went through the yard of Stephen Burns’ saloon at No. 4 to the end of the yard. Here there is a steep bank which leads down to the door of the boiler room. Stiles was on his way down the bank when he lost his balance and fell. The incline is strewn with large boulders and shrubbery and it was against the former that Stiles struck.
Stiles is survived by three brothers and four sisters.