Phyllis Brown
Each vintage photograph carries its own narrative. An old image depicting a woman battling with police on a precarious ledge stirs curiosity.
This poignant scene captures a moment of intense struggle and emotion, drawing viewers into a dramatic scene. So, what happened? Why did this picture bring tears to millions of people?
Join us as we discover the touching story behind it.
The making of the photo
In 1942, Mrs. Egbert, living at 497 Dean Street, New York, stepped out of the window and stood on the ledge of the second floor, threatening to jump. This dramatic act drew the attention of both the police and passersby, who quickly tried to intervene.
A photographer from the New York Daily News captured the moment when Mrs. Egbert was seen with her arm raised while an officer was trying to avoid her. Holding a mirror in her hand, Mrs. Egbert was actively resisting the police.
But what drove Mrs. Egbert to stand on the ledge and act so distressed?
The course of the story
It was reported that Mrs. Egbert had a son named Fred, who, after joining the military, never sent any letters home. This left Mrs. Egbert deeply worried.
Any mother in such a situation, especially during wartime, would fear that her son might have died on the battlefield.
Overcome with anguish and fear, Mrs. Egbert climbed out onto the second-floor ledge and declared, “I’m going to jump!”. Sharp iron fences were directly below her.
As a crowd gathered on the street watching the scene, the police immediately tried to prevent her from jumping. One officer spoke to Mrs. Egbert from the window while others set up a net below.
In the photo, Officers Ed Murphy and George Munday are seen trying to persuade Mrs. Egbert to come back inside, but in her distress, she swung the mirror at them. The police managed to grab her and push her into the net.
Approximately 600 onlookers quickly dispersed once Mrs. Egbert was taken to Bellevue for observation.
The press coverage of the incident
According to census records, Mrs. Egbert was actually 44 years old at the time, not 50, as initially reported by the newspapers. Her husband, John Egbert, was 64 years old, and their son Fred was 20.
The photo was first published in International News with the headline “Three Cops and A Woman In Life and Death Drama.” The caption also noted:
“New York – Four of the five principal characters in today’s (March 19) life or death drama staged in a Brooklyn residential district.
Mrs. Edna Egbert, 50, is shown on the 2nd story ledge of her apartment while three policemen flank her, trying to talk her out of her threat to jump in a suicide attempt.
Failing to dissuade the woman, the policemen pushed her from the ledge– into a large emergency net that had been rigged below.
The fifth hero in this drama is the first policeman on the scene, who kept Mrs. Egbert on her ledge for 25 minutes while the net was being rigged.”
