McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-05-28
A JUMP OF.1as FEET.
Hour Professor Ended His life In Eadea0.
crisa1 TO Accomplish a Greut Feat.

Hour Professor Ended His life In Endea0-
cris,g TO Accomplish Greut Feat.
This afternoon, says a New York dispatch
Of the 10Th, cab left the New York entrance
Of the Brooklyn bridge and was driven to the
middle of the great span. Here the driver
pulled up and two men got out and began TO
climb the railing. Before they had reached
the top policeman came toward them brand
ishing his club and ordering them to ''get
down out of that" While he was talking
with the young men covered wagon contain
Prof. E. Odlum and companion stopped
about hundred feet behind the cab. Quickly
divesting himself of the blue flannel In which
he was dressed, Odlum, clad In a red shirt and
trunks, jumped from the carriage and sprang
lightly TO the railing. He quickly reached the
top, and posing himself for a moment stOo
erect and glanced hurriedly at the surface OF
the East river far below him. The people on
the bridge set up cry OF horror when they
saw the professor prepare to plunge off the
bridge into the river l:}5 beneath his feet. Toe
policeman now rushed toward the professor,
but before he had gone dozen feet Odlum,
without a moments hesitation, had leaped
from the railing out into the air. he held one
hand above his head as rudder to guide him
in his descent. The river below was at the
moment clear of shipping. A tug and
schooner lay lazily in the stream several yards
below the bridge. The tug was filed with
club men ard reporters. Captain Boynton
stood near the PROV and closely watching the
bridge The moment Odlum,s body was seen
to leave the railing Harry +. DiXey, the actor,
started a stop watch which he held in
his hand, in order to time the descent.
For nearly one hundred feet the professor
came down all right Feet foremost he shot
downward with The speed of meteor, his red
lit. n.,sl L.
distance. When within thirty feet of the wa
ter his body began to turn. AS If realizing his
danger Odlum brought down his hand with
quick motion to aid him in recovering his bal
ance. The movement, however, was too late.
His body had turned so far it was now impos-
sible to change its course, and half a second
later, with mighty splash that threw up wa
ter on all sides. Prof. Odlum's body struck the
water on one side and sank out Of sight. The
tug hurriedly pushed itself forward to the
place where the body fell, and Captain
Boynton, after seeing that lfe-preservers had
been thrown into the water, sprang over the
side of the boat and watched for the body to
come to the surface. Soon he saw the white
face of the professor rising from the water and
i'll moment was by his side. Selling life
preserver near by he placed it beneath the
body of the insensible professor. Blood min
gled with froth came from the mouth OF the
drowning man. row boat soon came to the
rescue and Odlum was taken from the water.
A few moments later he was transferred to the
tug and restoration administered. After con-
siderable rubbing the eyes of the professor
opened. "What kind of jump did l makes"
he whispered.
''First-class, nv hoy" responded Boynton,
'youll be all right in a little while" But he
was insensible again before the words had
hardly left his lips. The tug steamed hastily
to her slip, and just as the pier was reached
shudder passed through the frame of the pro-
fessor, and then after breathing heavily once
or twi c his heart stopped beating and he was
pronounced dead. The body was taken ashore
and conveyed to the undertaker's.