New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-20
FROM THE BRIDGE TO DEATH
op1uws FATAL LEAP INTO THE RIVER

,,yxv MINUTES AFTER slhihiE'' 49,
,,rounof men sat around table yesterday
.,.arnoop IN the ship Hotel, in West twenty
s,,n solemn faces Two more stood on the Sidewalk
WIN . poAavp Rvan's barroom in Broadway and
hi,od cab Two others on the deck Oh tug
80 AZ the Old Slip, and fourth ana ias'
marty was posted at the Ne"-iorA On -
to the Brooklyn Bridge earriage;way. All ioul
parties we're working in accord Captain "aru' ., o
prdge Police at the time sat in his once al the
,,s,ro entrance reading q telegram from Inspector
pvrpes to this effect: A man named ooiun' iIo'n
Washington, threatens to jump from the Dlluse o''
Look out for him. -, 3, .o,a
the eaptan as he laid aside the telegram ana
s .. tho bue coated guardians along the great high
,vav "Iook out!' was the cry all along the iihe anu
,hsr earh policeman butoned his coat ana spreao S
GAZE over the four points OF the coinPaSe wy" 81
occasional glance toward the sky Extra men were Pos
along the carriage way between the towers Eao o'U0
mt his hand into little secret nook, Grew iortn n
areadsd cluh and placed it in his hip pocket Ready
enp cried the sergeant, and the word passed along
in nm undertone, was responded to In he ann lnA''
Inv the entire corps lheh A''
men said the sergeant again in soft voice. anu io
two hours and q half every man strained ms eyes
patently, aud investigated lhe oeouP'' U
vehicle which passed along
The four parties mentioned knew OF all these prepsr"
TONS but set them aside simply. James hagger" 'ne
night Waterman at Captain Boytons oh'P, mac
&c nm the rear at Park Place and Broad
way CAPTAIN Boyton, Robert E. Odlum, and nan
a dozen others at the same time descendeu INC
steps of the restaurant Twety-nnth-st TOOK oA'n
ave elevated car got of at Park Place and hurried up
20 paddy Ryan's barroom odlum removed mis- or
anarv attire pilot coat soft felt hat, blue trousers
and canvas shoes; underneath these were red,
tight-ftting swimmingjacket and two pairs OF
light trunks. He then threw his oVereoa'
over him, slipped out into the express wagon
fntn fhA nQh
Captain Boyton went down to Old slip IN compan! win
John J. Harkns of No. lis West Twentieth'st, l. r.
Jvkes of No 80 Park Row. and about fifty others They
stepped aboard the tugboat Charles huhyon' co'u'
manded by Captain Isaac IL. Love, which steamed up
tho river in the direction the Bridge with two small
Boats in tow - 49,.
At this time Raggert gave the word to the cab-drver
who started for the Bridge. followed oy the express
wagon In which lay the who intended TO jump into
the East River while Cool Herbert, wellknown eI
Louis sport" chatted with the driver AS they pasSeu
the entrance Odum raised his head from uhuer lne co'
eriDg and whispered to his companion.
"say, old man, we're going to make history to-day
Herbert's face rather rueiullooking ana 'he
driver who overheard the remark, Tor the hrst tme
suspected something aud little pale and nervous
On they went wagons hllng the space pe-
tween them and the cab In which Haggert sat- Inc
policemen were all and expectantor the tusbo
had reached point toward the NewYork side and re-
maned stationary almost under the Bridge. Meanwhile,
overhead the cab which had gone more than huhdreo
yards from the New.York tower suddenly wheeled to
one side and Hagger jumped out took of his coat and
waistcoat and dropped his suspenders. low whistle
went along from the policeman in charge
The boys In blue rushing from east
and west and collared Haggert. Travel on the car
rage-ways both sides was stopped The promenade
which was black with pedestrians. was blocked In an
instant and hundreds leaned the russes ana looked
down. Everybody excited and the policemen were
oil engaged with Haggert, who stih kept tugghg iran
tcay in his pretended desire to jump into the water
AT length Onicer Mcleod secured him ana marcheu MN
ogto the York Street Police Station in Brooklyn.
Ali the while Boytou aud his party looked up from
below and laughed heartily at how well the ruse was
working professor" Odums turn had come, ana his
desire TO make history" about to be fulhcd WIN
vengeance While the policemen were struggling
with Haggert Odum slipped noselessly from
upder the nght covering in the wagon and was
standing Oh the parapet in moment lie had sun on
the tights already described but wore neither cap nor
shoes AS he stood there alone the crowd surgeu Win
one common impulse that direction and scanned every
featnre of the man. He seemed TO be about thirty
six wears old and looked not less than hve
feet ten in his bare feet His features
were sharp; a Jet black mustache, closely cfoppeo'
adorned his face his lips were compressed ana ueVe
mned-looking He seemed calm and as ne looked do"n
into the placid lao feet below there came sVer
over the crowd followed by involuntary burst OF adj
miration at the calm courage OF the man fuitoh
Ferry boat passed from the New-York side
with great crowd The people all looked up trembingy
and some Of the women felt faint
II was now $3.50 o'clock Captain Boyton ana MS
friends looked up from the tug boat and met the eyes OF
The Professor who smiled calmly though 14O feet
inmps were ring matters Then he softly stroked MS
hair which colnbed over his forehead toward tnergu
braced his legs close together planted his LETT arm down
along his side though responding to an order on
parade For a moment he steadied himself, stretched
his right hand 10 his utmost limit above his head took
deep and prolonged breath and sprang into the air
AT the moment he jumped cry broke from the great
crowds the Bridge and those aboard vessels the ryer
Captain Boyton the tugboat was about the only man
In the thousands who remained cam He surveyed the
descent OF his reckless friend with the cool preesono OF
professional For the first hundred feet odum stil
held 10 his original attitude and shot straight away like
an arrow then he was turned partly on his right
side by an irresistible force which he struggled
yapy 10 oppose He whred his right arm through the
air seeking support of some kind, but he could do
nothing Oh" he said, In low tone, just as he was
about striking water Then he struck with terrific
crash partly ON his right side. His plaintive
cry was drowned lii the loud surge OF the waters
and the tremendous noise which arose from
che mnltitudes the Bridge overhead. When
he re-appearcd the surface he stil continued
20 throw his right hand around though mporng aid
life preseryer flung from the tugboat followed by
Cant Boston who pitched himself headong into the river
e,otes and ALL and vigorously for the unfortu
mite professor about nfty yards He took
him under his left and made for one Of the small
boats In which ho safely secured his
charge They were both transferred
70 the tug which hurried back TO her starting point at
OId Slip, where all on board went ashore
The distance TO the water counting the or so Of
Bridge railing is 140 feet, and from the time Odum
Jumped until be the water three and quarter
seconds passed, threeQuarters OF second
more than Odum himself had calculated upon.
He only before he returned to the
surface On tug rolled in blankets, and