The Somerset press. [volume] (Somerset, Ohio) 1873-1977, 1873-12-19
A SOMNAMBULIsT MIRIED.
A Providence Woman's Dangerous
Predicament-AC Courageous
Policeman.

n PrOTl0ence MOm8n'S dangerous
Predicament-A Courageous
Policeman.
About 2 O'Clock one morning last week,
as Officer Augustus R. Tallman was on
his way home, after his seven hours
beat, he heard the cry, "Police." 'tmur-
der" borne on the night air in wo-
mans voice. Although technically "off
duty" the true policeman is never ''off
duty, when his services are required,
and Officer Tallman followed the sound
as rapidly as he could, which led him
TO the foot of Henderson street. Stop
ping here to make certain, he still heard
the cries of woman in distress some
where out in the mud flats, but he could
see nothing in the intense darkness. Not
knowing what he was to encounter, he
sounded his whistle az signal for help
in case he should need it, hastily took
off his clothes, with the exceptions of
his shirt and hat, and rolled them up in
bundle and laid then on the shore, and
LAo HE AAO
boldly plunged into the mud and the
darkness.
Think of an excursion in the cold
mud on dark night in December, with
no clothes on. Guided by the sounds
only, which were growing fainter, and
occasionally shouting as an encourage
ment to whoever might be there, the
officer kept on his way, the mud grow
ing deeper and deeper and thicker and
thicker, till he found himself up to
his waist, his progress all the time grow
ing more difficult and dangerous, at
times causing him to fear his own life
was in danger. Indeed, he did get
stuck in the mud once or twice.. and it
was only with great difficulty that he
managed to get along at all. He could
by this time hear the tread of the officers
coming to his aid, in response to his
just at that time Finally, after wading
long distance, he reached woman's'
head and arms lying on the flats, her
body being entirely submerged in the
mud. He didn't stop to ask questions
then, but cheering her as we'll as he
could, he infused into her by his pres
ence new life, and succeeded in getting
her out of the depths, and the two start
ed shoreward. The return was at first
even more hazardous than had been his
trip out there, for now he had two to
look after, but as the mud grew more
shallow, her courage grew more strong
er and their progress easier, and in due
course ofA time both arrived to terra
Jfrma.
Here other officers in waiting, who
took charge of her, and carried her to
the Richmond street station house, where
she was cleaned, dried and warmed.
She gave her name as Mary Quinn, and
she was stopping at the house of Michae
Kelley, on Plum atreet, and that she
went to bed as usual Wednesday night,
and the next thing she was aware of
was foundering in the mud, and all her
efforts to get out only led her in deep
er. She had on nothing but dress and
chemise, thinks she must have got up
in her sleep, put on the dress and walked
out there, waking only when the mud
began to chill her through, and make
walking require great effort.
Now comes in the ludicrous part of the
adventure, though it was anything but
ludicrous to the officer at the time, how
ever much he might have laughed at it
since. When the officers took the. wo-
man to the station they left Officer Tall
man in shirt and hat, covered to his
waist with thick coating of dock mud,
and his clothes rolled up in a bundle.
Here was a pretty plight. His clothes
were all right, but how would they be
if he got into them in that condition?
He would need new suit sure, which
was not to be thought of these hard
times.
His house was only half mile away,
so he took his clothes under his arm and
started for home as he was. Imagine a
stout policeman beating along the street
with close-reefed top sails, so early in
the morning. Aside from the discom-
forts attending the situation, there was
even in that. Suppose he should meet
any one, was there any liability of arrest
for indecent exposure? Such dodging
nd hxyru
through, land he did meet several per-
sons, even at that early hour,) must
have given him some idea of the feelings
of wrong-doers when be gets after them,
so perhaps he can sympathize little
with such in the future. However, he
arrived at home in safety, and yesterday
he suffered no ill-efects from his meri-
torious dangerous life-saving ludIcrous
adventure, but can laugh as much as
any one at the appearance he must have
made while going up Lockwood street,
in state which would have been naked
ness had it not been for the dock mud.
He certainly deserves great credit for
his prompt and energetic action, as but
for that the woman would have perished
in very short time.-P Providence Joatrr-
al
History Of The Steel Pen.
The early history of the steel pen is
curiously obscure. The most diligent