, 1885-05-20
A FEARFUL LEAP.
A Man in New York Jumps
from the
rrlH.HI
Suspension Bridge, and il
Killed by the Fall.
A Bad Old Indian Digging Up
the War Ratchet.

a Leap tnhL COSI u 1l1e.
NEw YoRK. May I9.-This afternoon
a cab left the New York entrance to
Brooklyn bridge and was driven to the
middle of the great span. Here the
driver pulled up and two men got u and
began TO climb up the railing. Before
they had reached the top Of the bridge a
policeman came toward them brandishing
his club, and ordering them to =" get down
and out of that" While he was talking
with the young men a covered wagon, con-
tanning Prof. L. Odlum and a companion,
stopped a hundred feet behind the cab.
Quickly divesting himself of a blue fan
mel, in which he was dressed, Prof. Cd
lum, 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 mo-
ment, he stood erect and glanced hur-
riedly at the surface of the East river far
below him. The people on the bridge sent
up a cry ofhorror when they saw the pro-
fessor prepare to plunge off the bridge
into the river, 1876 feet beneath his feet.
The policeman, whose attention had now
been directed.f from Bonyton, rushed to-
ward the professor. Before he had
gone a dozen feet, Prof. Odlum,
without a moments hesitation had leaped
out from the railing out into the air. He
held one hand above his head as a rudder
to guide him in his descent. The river
below was at the moment clear Of ship
ping. A tug and schooner aoated lazily
in the stream several hundred yards below
the bridge. The tug was filled with club
men and reporters. Boynton stood near
the PROV anxiously Watching the bridge.
The moment Prof Odlum's body was
seen to leave the railing Harry f. Dixey,
actor, started his stop watch. which he
held in his hand In order to time the
descent For nearly a hundred feet the
professor came down all right, feet fore
most He shot downward with the speed
of a meteor, his red suit making him
easily discernable for a long distance.
When within thirty feet of the water his
body began to turn, and, as if realizing his
danger, Prof Odlum brought down his
hand with wariike motion to aid him in
recovering his balance. The movement
was, however, made too late. HIS body
had now turned 50 far it was now i'm
possible to change its course. Half
a second later, with a mighty
splash that threw up the water on all
sides as if torn with shell. Prof Cd
lum's body struck the water on one side
and sunk out OF sight. The tug hur-
riedly pushed itself forward to the place
where the body fell, and Capt. Boynton,
after seeing that a life preseryer had been
thrown into the water, sprang over the
side of the boat and waited for the body
to come to the surface. Soon as he saw
the white face of the professor rising from
the water, and a moment later he was by
his side. Selling a life preserver near by
he placed it beneath the body of the in
sensible professor. Blood, mingled with
frolh, came from the mouth of the dar-
inr man. A row boat soon came to the
rescue, and Prof. Odlum was taken from
the water. A few moments later he was
transferred to the tug, and restoratives
were administered. After considerable
rubbing the eyes of the professor opened.
"What kind of a jumn did l make?' he
whispered. First class, my boy" re-
sponded Boynton ; you'll 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 a shudder passed through the
professor, and then, after breathing heav-
lily once or twice, his heart stopped beat
ing and he was pronounced dead. The
body was taken ashore and conveyed to
the undertakes.
Prof. Robert Il. Odlum was formerly
professor ofa swimming bath in Wash
ingtan, but latterly has been a clerk in
Williard's hotel 1t has been his ambi
ton to jump from Brooklyn bridge. He
made an attempt once before the bridge
was completed. but was prevented from
carrying out his scheme by the police. He
was three and one-fourth seconds in the
air before striking the water. He was
unmarried, SO years of age and a man of
good habits.