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May 3, 1962
Transcription from Alton Telegraph:
A 21-year-old Altonian fell to his death from the bluffs overlooking McAdams Memorial Highway late Wednesday afternoon in a vain attempt to save a 25-year-old companion from falling. The older man survived the 100-foot fall with serious injuries, including two broken arms.
Pronounced dead at St. Joseph’s Hospital was Phillip Fredrick Armstead of 2505 Della Ave. His companion, Steven Turnage of 2419 Washington Ave., was hospitalized with multiple fractures and internal injuries and possible head injuries. Turnage resides with his uncle, Frank Jackson, at the Washington Avenue address.
According to police, Armstead landed some 10 feet from the base of the bluff, Turnage landed some 30 feet from the bluff in a pile of metal window frames.
With Phillip Armstead and Turnage at the time of the accident were James Covington, 20, of 23 Sullivan Drive, and James Smith, 21, of 2426 Moore St. They told police they were walking outside the wall in Riverview Park when Turnage leaned over the edge of the bluff for a view of the bottom. While looking down, Turnage slipped, police were told, and Armstead grabbed for him. Both went over the edge.
Covington and Smith drove to the foot of the bluff. A secretary at Piasa Tool & Die Co., Miss Anita Blayney, summoned police and an ambulance. The boys fell to the ground immediately behind the Piasa plant.
Phillip Armstead was the son of Mr. and Mrs. James Phillip Armstead, with whom he resided. He was born April 4, 1941, in Alton, graduated from Alton High School in 1959, and attended the Alton Campus of Southern Illinois University for two years, majoring in sociology and music. At the time of his death he was employed at Olin Mathieson Chemical Corp., East Alton.
Surviving, in addition to his parents, are three brothers, James Jeffery and Maurice; two sisters, Anita and Vicki June; grandparents, Mr. and Mrs. Homer Comley and Mr. and Mrs. Moses Armstead.
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W. Wayne Peal, Sr.
I learned about Phillip's accident years ago and was just sickened by it. But as I remember Phillip, he did what Phillip did, trying to help others. He was a big guy and I was a little guy and Phillip told me one day that he was with a group of guys crusing down the street and saw me walking on the sidewalk. They wanted to stop and beat me up, but Phillip said leave him alone, I know him and he is a good guy. I will always remember what Phillip did for me that night. It is stange but over the years, I have often thought about Phillip falling off the bluffs trying to save his friend. I have missed Phillip for many years and will continue to miss him. He was a great guy.Marilyn Waide (Lake)
Phillip Armstead, like Rose Marie Sacchi, died way too young. He was the first of my close circle of friends to die. Rose Marie followed two years later.A group of us, art and English majors, from SIU, often went to Riverview Park on spring, summer and fall nights because most places in Alton were still segregated and our mixed race group could not congregate in public places.
Often, we climbed over the wall to get a better look at the river.
I found out about Phil's death before I knew it was Phil. I was with a geology class from a St. Louis College, and we were looking at the Piasa Bird. Someone mentioned they had read that a young man had fallen from that bluff and was killed. It had just happened.
I immediately thought of Phillip. But it was later in the weekend that I found it was Phillip. I missed his funeral, too.
Visiting with his mother was really comforting. She was a great lady!! And though I should have been comforting her, she was comforting me.
I often think of how kind she was and of her family.
Marilyn Hope (Waide) Lake