St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1885-05-30
ALEAP TO DEATH.
a Washington Swimming Mas
ter's Advertising Scheme.
He Leaps From the Brooklyn Bridge to the
River Below, and Pays for the Rash
Effort for Cheap Notoriety
With His Life.

Washington swimming master, who was
well known in the capital and who taught
the children of President Hayes and
President Garfield the art of swimming,
jumped from the great span of the Brook
Ign Bridge into the East River yesterday
afternoon and was killed by the concus.
sion. Odlum, in whose mind the deeds
of Sam Patch and other famous Jumpers
were ever present, had for some time en-
tanned the idea of jumping from the great
bridge. He thought he could do it sue.
cessfully, as he had made many jumps
from lofty elevations into the Potomac,
and he was perfectly at home when once
in the water. He said only half an hour
before he made the fatal leap that he had
perfect confidence in his ability to make
the fearful descent and emerge from the
water unhurt. He would thus eclipse
the achievements of Sam Patch, and not
only win fame but advertise himself, and
so help his business in Washington.
STRATEGY.
He had announced his purpose before
hand, and the bridge police were on the
lookout for him, determined that the
foolhardy attempt should not be made.
1t became necessary, therefore, to con-
trive some strategy by which the police
could be thrown off the scent. This did
not prove to be difficult At a quarter
before five O'Clock this afternoon man
dressed in swimming costume and &C.
companied by friends drove upon the
bridge from the New York side and
trotted swiftly out toward the center.
| The mans dress at once attracted the at
| tention of the police, and believing that
he was the Would-be jumper they started
| in pursuit. The wagon was stopped near
the center of the bridge and the police
| Immediately surrounded it, leaving their
nosts along the roadways. This was the
opportunity that Odlum desired, for the
man in the swimming costume was simply
| a dummy whom he had sent ahead to
| draw off the blue coats.
THE JUMP.
AS soon as he saw the road was clear,
| Odlum, accompanied by two attendants
and wearing an overcoat closely buttoned
over his red trunks, drove rapidly upon
the bridge in an ordinary express wagon.
He excited no suspicion. When the ex-
press wagon reached a point about half
| way between the New York tower and
| the center of the bridge it suddenly
stopped and Odlum, throwing off his
disguise, leaped from the wagon, jumped
upon the outside railing of the bridge,
his red tights showing with startling dis
tinctness against the sky, and raising one
j., ii eyUTN f1rIa Huh
were watching him from a tugboat in the
middle of the river below.
He did not wait minute after giving
his signal, but placing his hands by his
side and pressing his feet together he
/ slil quickly from the railing and in an
instant was shooting toward the water,
/ 1876 feet below. With frightful velocity
he sped downward, still holding himself
/ in position, his straight, red form fash
ing like an arrow through the air. Sud
denly, and for what reason will never be
known, when the descent was about hall
completed, his friends were Mortified to
see him lose his balance, spread his arm
In vain attempt to regain, it and then
Whirl around in the air and strike the
/ water, with a resoundiug blow, fat upon
his back and side.
| EAIAIL1 HUI
The tug steamed instantly to his side,
and, mangled and bleeding, he was lifted
from the water. 1t was seen at once that
he could not live. His ribs were crushed
in, his body was black and blue, blood
was squirting from the bursted veins and
arteries in his side and legs and his skin
was swollen into Jumps, where the blood
was striving to break out. The tusboat
put quickly for the New York shore
and stopped at Old Slip
and messenger was sent
most haste for an ambulance
but before the crushed and bleeding form
could be lifted from the boat life was ex.
tinct. Those who timed 0dlum's descent
as it was watched from the tugboat say
lust four and one-half seconds elapsed
from the time he slid from the railing I'M
til he struck the water. The body wa:
removed to Kennedy's morgue and an un
dertaker was summoned, while the new:
of Odium's death was telegraphed 10 nj:
wife in Washington, who is left with
family OF young children.
SPECTATORS OF THE LEAP.
A rumor of what was to be done hat
spread over TIE lower part of the city
and the wooden piers in the neighbor
hood of the bridge were filled with PEG
ole. When the form of Odlum sho
downward every tongue was silent, bu
as, whirling helplessly, the figure strucl
the water, a great shout arose from tn
bridge, from the piers, from the ferry
boats, tugs aud schooners in the river
Paul Boyton, who stood in the bow OF thu
tuoboat containing Odlum's friends, wa
the first to recover from the horror tina
seemed to have seized upon all and t.
call for the instant rescue OF the Jumper
Boyton himself plunged overheard, as tn
helpless body was seen half submerged
and sinking after its first rise to the sur