Andrew E. Faulkner

Faulkner was born on September 23, 1913 in Salem, Massachusetts. He attended grammar and high school in Beverly, Massachusetts.[1] After serving in the United States Navy, Faulkner ran a filling station until 1948, when he started a fuel oil business.[2]

Faulkner served three years on the Beverly Board of Aldermen before serving terms in the Massachusetts House of Representatives.[1]

On November 15, 1950, Faulkner used an alias to check into a low-rate rooming house in Scollay Square. He was given a room on the third floor and a few minutes later was observed opening the window, crawling out onto the fire escape and walking to the end of it. He then appeared to jump five feet across and ten feet below to another fire escape of an adjacent building. Faulkner held onto the fire escape for a moment before falling 35 feet to his death. The Medical Examiner ruled Faulkner's death as accidental, based on cuts and bruises on Faulkner's hands that showed he had tried to save himself. Police ruled out the theory of robbery (Faulkner was said to have collected $1,000 prior to his death, however police stated they were confident that the $279 found in his pockets was all the money he had in his position) and investigators instead believed that he had been feeling ill and had gone out on the fire escape to get some air before accidentally falling off.[2][3]