St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1885-05-20
PROT. Robert E. Odlum Jumps Into East
River From Brooklyn
Bridge.
Watched by Party of Friends on a Boat
He Is Taken on Board, But
Soon Dies.
Tragic SEQUEL to a Virginia Love
Affair--Three Men Drowned
at Fort Spokane.
Fire in the Business Center OF Ch1caso
--Accident at a Funeral at
Pittsburg.
Into East River.

New YORK. May 19.-ThiS afternoon
cab left the New York entrance OF the
Brooklyn bridge and was driven to the MD
die of the great span. Here the drlver
nulled nm. and two men got out and began
70 climb the railing. Before they had
reached the top bridge policeman came
running toward them, brandlShlng his cluD,
and ordered them to ''get down out OF
that, While he was talking to the young
men a covered wagon containing ProI.
Robert E. Odlum and a companion stopped
100 feet behind the cab. Quickly dlyeSt-
ing himself of the blue flannel suit, IN
which he was dressed. Prof. Odlum, clad
in Il red shirt and trunks, jumped from the
carriage and sprang lightly to the railing.
He quickly reached the top, and, posing
himself moment, he stood erect and
glanced hurriedly at the surface of the East
river. far below him. The people on the
bridge sent up a cry OF horror, when
they saw the professor prepare to plunge OFF
the bridge into the river, 135 feet beneath
his feet. The policeman, whose attention
had now been been directed from the first
man. rushed toward the professor. Before
he had gone, dozen feet, Prof. Odlum,
without a moments hesitation, had leaped
out from the railing
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 fiOated laZily i'll the stream several
hundred yards below the bridge. The tug
was flied with reporters and club men.
Boyton stood near the Prov anXiously
watching the bridge. The moment Prof.
Odlum'S body was seen to leave the railing
Harry E. Dixey, the actor started a stop
watch which he held in his hand III order
to time the descent. For nearly 100
feet the professor came down all
right, feet foremost. He shot downward
with the speed of a meteor, his red suit
making him easily discernlbie for long
distance When within thirty feet OF the
water his body began to turn. AS II real
iZing Prof Odlum brought down his hand
with a warlike motion to aid him in recov-
ering his balance. The movement was,
however, made too late. His body had
now turned so far that it was impossible to
change its course. Half a second later, with
A MIGHTY SPLASH,
that threw up the water On all sides as if
tom with a shell, Prof. Odlum's body
struck the water on one side and sank out
forward to the place where the body fell,
and Capt. Boyton. after seing that life-pre
servers had been thrown out into the water,
sprang over the side of the boat and waited
for the body to come to the surface. Soon
he saw the white face Of the
professor rising from the water,
and a moment later he was
by his side. Seizing life preserver NEARLY
he placed it beneath the body of the insen-
sible professor. Blood, mingled with froth
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 jump did L
makeen he whispered. ''First-class,
my boy" responded Boyton, ''you will
be all right in little while" But he was
insensible again before the words had hardly
left his lips The tug steamed hastily to
his ship, and just as the shore was reached
a Shudder passed through the frame of the
professor, and then, after breathing heavily
once or twice his heart stopped beating and
he was pronounced dead. The body was
taken ashore and conveyed to the
undertakers. Prof Robert E. Odlum
was formerly the proprietor of swimming
bath in Washington, but Iatterly has been
clerk in Wizards hotel. 1t has been his
ambition to jump from the Brooklyn bridge
He made the attempt once before the bridge
was completed, but was prevented from
carrying out his scheme by the police. He
was 81 seconds in the air before striking
the water. He was unmarried, SO years of
age and a man of good habits.