Edison Wished For Death, Physician Reveals
By FRANK GERVASI
WEST ORANGE, N. J., Oct. 18. ─ (AP) ─ Thomas A. Edison died peacefully before dawn today at the hilltop estate where he labored to give light, work and recreation to millions.
The 84-year-old inventor, who lay deep in a coma at the end, did not wish to live, Dr. Hubert S. Howe disclosed, when he realized his complete recovery was improbable.
His wife and six children, close in attendance during the last stages of the 11 weeks' sickness, had been told by Mr. Edison that his work was finished. He would rather leave the world, he said, than burden them with the disabilities of age and illness.
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In the quiet of the early morning on the Llewellyn Park estate a formal notice of Mr. Edison's passing was brought to newspaper men by Arthur L. Walsh, vice president of Thomas A. Edison Industries, Inc.
Pale and visibly shaken, Mr. Walsh walked down a tree-lined path from the home to press headquarters in the Edison Garage to read the bulletin.
Bulletin Read
"Thomas Alva Edison quietly passed away at 24 minutes after 8 a. m., October 18, 1931. (Signed) Dr. Hubert S. Howe."
Almost instantly the message circled the globe by telephone and telegraph systems which were a part of the industries valued at $15,000,000,000 to which Edison contributed major inventions.
Man Seriously Hurt In Brawl
Quick Action by Officers Results in Arrest of Suspect
In a brawl on West Alameda street, in the river bottom, Larry McCormick, 810 South Ninth avenue was critically injured and was taken to the Southern Methodist hospital Sunday evening about 9:15 o'clock.
About 25 minutes after the alleged fight Capt. Ben West apprehended Frank Machado, formerly of Tucson, and late of California in a rooming house on West Alameda and charged him with assault with a deadly weapon. With West were Officers Charles Hines and Walker Hyde as they arrested the alleged attacker.
Juan Estrada who was said by officers to be an eye witness to the attack, reported that several youths were in the act of accepting a drink from McCormick when Machado wandered up. It was said that he took the bottle and after taking a drink struck McCormick alongside of the head with the bottle. Someone reported the attack to Officer Herron and he investigated and called headquarters for the police car.
A few moments later the injured man was taken to the police station and there transferred to an ambulance of the Parker-Grimshaw company which took him to the Southern Methodist hospital.
Reports from the hospital told of a bad injury to the head of McCormick and the possibility of a fracture of the skull. This could not be determined however until X-ray pictures had been taken according to the attending physician. McCormick was unconscious.
The quick work of the officers in charge of the investigation led to the immediate arrest of Machado. Taking several blind leads as to the address of the attacker the officers at last tracked him to the rooming house on West Alameda near the police station.
Hines and Hyde looked out for the rear exits and as Capt. Ben West entered the front door he found Machado hiding behind a door.
Machado was taken to the police station where he was examined and found to have severe cuts upon the fingers of his right hand. The cuts were well wrapped up in a handkerchief, but not sufficiently to disguise the flow of blood from the hand.
