St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1882-05-06
A New Sam Patch.

harness manufacturer Mr. Donaldson
was born in Tain, Highlands of Scot
land, twenty-six years ago. He is five
feet seven and half inches high, and
weighs 1874 pounds. He measures thir-
ty-six inches around the chest and thirty
eight around the waist. He is as COM
pactly built as Edward Hanlan, the
sculer, although his muscles are more
flexible.
Mr.. Donaldson was introduced to a
Sun reporter yesterday by Mr.. Richard
K. Fox as a gentleman who was DESTROYS
of making bet that he would jump
from the Brooklyn Bridge into the East
River.
A glance into Mr. Donaldson's eyes
failed to reveal any CLEAN of madness or
reckless daring. In fact he was very
mild-mannered and quiet.
"Have you ever jumped from great
heights. Mr.. Donaldson9'
IA hundred times"
"In public?"
"Only three times in public.''
"Where?"
"Once in Sunderland and twice at
High Bridge
''When did you jump from High
Bridge?'
August 70 and 1s, 1880. When I
appeared on the bridge in tights, an Ex-
else Commissioner of New York bet me
S25 that [ wouldn't jump. When he
paid me the S25. afterward, he said the
sight was worth the money. / would
have bet him $500 that would make the
jump safely. am always perfectly con-
fident, and confidence is nine-tenths of
a battle.'
"Do you think you could jump from
Brooklyn Bridge and live?'
II am certain of it. The bridge is
only ten feet higher than High Bridge.
Besides, the water is lumpy and safer.
There is only ten feet of water under
High Bridge. Iprefer broken water to
a smooth surface"
"Do you practice before making
leap?''
''Always. I GO to some retired place,
where l can get jump of forty feet, so
as to make sure of my position when I
go down"
"What is your style of dropping?''
81 crouch with Bonded knees, and hop
my sides, with my forearms and palms
of my hands flat in front of my breast.
I work my hands little, like the hutter
of bird wings. The first fifty feet I
drop like shot, then the air catches
under my hands, my arms, armpits,
chin, and even my ears. It takes four
seconds to drop one hundred feet. I
breathe while am descending, and
clap my hands over my chest and
press my elbows to my sides just as L
strike the water. All my vital parts are
protected. My knees guard my stom-
ach. believe I could drop safely dis
lance of one thousand feet Il I could be
sure of striking feet first in my crouched
position
''Did you jump from High Bridge the
first time you visited itp'
"Oh, no; | always familiarize myself
with a place from which I intend to
Jump. went to High Bridge every
for week, and crouched with
my toes on the edge of the wall. By
that means | knew just where my body
would catch the air, and just where I
would breathe going down. Taking a
long breath just before you start is all
nonsense. You have to go easy and
natural. III should toss my head back
at the start, it would land me on my
head and shoulders and kill me. They
told me at High Bridge that a man
named France was walking ON the
bridge one day with two women, when
he said: "Wait here until go and get
another drink, then I'll show you the
greatest jump you ever did see. He got
ais drink and jumped straight down.
After that he laid ten weeks in a hos
pital before he died. A German and a
negro also lost their lives by jumping
there"
"Can you swim well?'
"Ten miles, if necessary"
"What part of the year do you prefer
'or jumping?''
"May is the best time.''
Mr.. Fox said he would give Donald
son 500 if he would jump from the
East River Bridge. N. z. Sun.