OBIT: James P. WILLS, 1880, Altoona, Blair County, PA

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A PAINTER FALLS FROM A ROOF AND IS KILLED.

 James P. Wills, a painter, while engaged in painting the roof of the 
Globe Hotel met with a frightful death yesterday morning.  After 
finishing his work he, in a playful, not to say foolhardy, manner began 
jumping from the roof of another wing running parallel with it, between 
which there is an intervening space of about five feet.  He had 
successfully accomplished the feat twice, against which his employer, 
Mr. J. H. Bergstresser, who is also Wills' brother-in-law, strongly 
remonstrated, but he was deaf to all advice and warning, and remarked 
that he was not at all afraid of the undertaking.  On the third attempt 
he slipped on the comb roofing of the western wing, and fell a distance 
of fifty-four feet, striking on the plank flooring between the two 
buildings.  His head was shockingly crushed in, and he expired almost 
instantly.  In his descent he struck the wall of the eastern wing.  
Coroner Humes held an inquest over the body and rendered a verdict of 
accidental death.  He was about 34 years of age.  His remains were 
taken to undertaker Tipton's establishment, on Eleventh avenue, and 
prepared for burial.  His parents reside at Warriorsmark, Huntingdon 
county, whither his remains will be taken for interment.  His brother 
Benjamin was killed at the Centennial building in Philadelphia in 1876, 
about a month before the opening of the Exposition, by the fall of a 
scaffold on which he and a number of others were standing while 
painting that edifice.  In this case, however, James owes his death 
simply to his own indiscretion and heedless disregard of the warnings 
of his fellow-workmen.

Morning Tribune, Altoona, Pa., Tuesday, August 10, 1880

1880 Altoona, Blair County census -
James Wills, 35, divorced, painter 
Larra M. Wills, 8

1850 Warriors Mark, Huntingdon County census -
Richard Wills, 39 
Cath. Wills, 31 
Samuel Wills, 12 
George Wills, 10 
Mary E. Wills, 8 
James Wills, 6 
Benj. P. Wills, 3 
Sis. Wills, 3/12