The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1885-05-29
a pIuuon TO A
Frof. Robert =. odlum Jumps 1875 Feet
Into East River Prom Brooklyn artdre
and Dies Soon After.

Frof. Robert z. Odlum Jumps las Pact
into East River Prom BROOKLYN Br1dea
and Dies Soon After,
Last Tuesday afternoon, the 10th inst. a cab
left the New York entrance of the BROOKLYN
bridge and was driven to the middle of the
great span. Here the driver pulled nm and
Two n1en got out and began to climb the rail
ing: Before they had reached the top a bridge
p1HoeiLan came running toward them, brand
1shins ms club, and ordered them to get down
out OF that" While he was TALKING to the
young men a covered wagon CONTAINING Prof
HoDert II. .Odlum and a companion s1onned
!o feet behind the cab. QUICKLY diyest.
ing himself of the blue flannel suit, in
in a red shirt and trunks, jumped from The
carriage and sprang lightly to the railing, He
quickly reached the top, and, posing himself a
moment, he stood erect and glanced hurried
y AZ the surface of the east river, far below
hin The people on the bridge sent nm crw
of horror, when they saw the Professor prenars
70 plunge off the bridge into the river. las feet
beneath his feet. The policeman, whose atten.
ton had now been directed from the frat mar.
rushed toward the professor. Before he hid
gone momo dozen feet, Prof. odlum, without
from the railing into the air. He
held one hand above his head. as a rpdder
70 guide him in his descent. The river below
was al the moment clear of shipping. A tug
and a schooner foated lazily in the stream
several hundred yards below the bridge. The
tug was filled with reporters and club men
boyton stood near the prov anxiously watch
ing the bridge. The moment Prof OdInm's
body was seen to leave the railing Harry Il.
plxey, the actor, started a stop watch which he
nera IN ms hand IN order to time the descent.
FOR nearly lW feet the professor came down
al right, feet foremost. He shot downward
with the speed Of a meteor, his red suit max
ing him easily discernible for u long distance.
When within thirty feet Of the water his BODY
began 70 turn; As if realizing Prof, odium
to aid him in recovering HE balance. The
movement was, however, made too late. His
Dody nad now turned 80 far that it was impos-
sible to change its course. Halt a
t second N later, with a mighty splash, that
torn with g shell, Prof. odlum's BODY
struck the water on one side and sank, ont of
sight h tug hurriedly pushed itself for
ward to the place where the body fell. and
CoPt Boynton, after seeing that life preserv-
ers had been thrown out into the water, spranq
over the side of the boat and waited for tie
BODY to come to the surface. Soon he saw the
whlte lace or the professor rising from the
water, and a moment later he was BY his side,
SEEING a life preserver nearly lie placed it
beneath the body of the insensible professor.
Blood, mingled with fl'otli came from the
mouth of the dying man. A row boat came to
the rescue and Professor 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 aJump did make:n he whispered. First
class my boy" responded Boyton, 3you will be
alright i'll a little while" Bnthe was iuseusible
again before the words had hardly left his lips
TIL tug steamed hastily to his ship, and Just
as the shore was reached a shudder passed
thrOnUh the fran,a pf tho rrnfoaa,r ,,,J +l,a,
after breathing heavily once or twice his heart
stopped beating and he was pronounced dead.
The body was taken ashore and conveyed to
the undertakes. Prof, Robert T.. Odlum was
formerly the proprietor of n swimming bath
in Washington, but latterly has been u clerk in
Wizards hotel. 1t has been his mhitio to
jump from the Brooklyn bridge. He made
the attempt once before the bridge was COM
pleted, but was prevented from carryi, g O 1t his
scheme by the police. He was 81 seconds in
the air before striking the water. He was I'M
married, 80 years of age and a man of good
habits.