He had thrown himself down on the floor at the downtown May Company, on the first floor right next to the escalator, and started holding his breath. His mother was stooped in her heels, causing a commotion, desperately trying to get him to breathe. It was the sight of his pretty mother in obvious distress that attracted the small crowd of on lookers. He says he remembers even then that no one seemed very worried about his physical condition. Someone in the crowd said, "Leave him alone. He'll breathe."