St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-09-08
He PLUNGED DIANE.
Steve Brodie Goes Over the
Horseshoe Fall in a Rub
ber Suit.
Buried From View in Mist
and Foam for Full Two
Minutes.
Taken From the Water In
sensible and Bleeding From
Every Pore.
EXcept for a Few Bruises He
Except for a Few Bruises He
Is as Sound as a
Dollar.


feat to-day of going over Niagara Falls
in rubber suit. Brodie and his party
arrived at Clifton last night. There
were Ernest Gerald, John Ledger, John
Mccarthy and William E. Harding and
several newspaper correspondents.
They put up at the Waverly hotel and
registered under fcticious names in
order to avoid suspicion. Brodie's suit
was placed 200 feet above the Canadian
falls last night, ready for use. Inflated
rubber tubes, ropes, etc., were also
placed near the Maid of the Mist land.
ing. Brodie left the hotel with the
party at 4 a. m. John Mccarthy and
Ernest Gerald, with Brodie, went to a
point 300 feet above the falls. He then
stripped and had his body padded with
cottonbatting Then he put on the rubber
suit, which was inflated seventy-tw0
inches around the waist and Seyenty-
five inches around the chest, the
HEADGEAR BEING ALSO INFLATED
while two steel bands protected his
body. At $50, Brodie with his paddle
entered the water. He caught the cur
rant. waved his paddle to Gerold and
Mccarthy and few seconds laIer was
shot over the center of the Horseshoe
Falls, and luckily, he was shot with
of one of the falling volumes of water
and was quickly lost in the mist and
foam. He was buried from view for
nearly two minutes, when a black Speck
covered with thick white coating, was
seen bobbing and jumping to and fro in
the boiling cauldrOn of rushing, gurg-
ling waters. In a short time, Brodie
was caught in the rushing waters and
carried at brisk pace toward the Amer
lean shore, and then all of sudden he
was hurried toward the Canadian shore,
where John Ledger had ropes ready to
drag him from the water. Ledger was
stripped and swan out 100 feet
with rope fastened to his
waist, while w. E. Harding held the
other end on shore. Ledger, after sew
eral attempts, reached Brodie, fastened
, the rope to the iron bands round his
sisted in pulling the daring swimmer
ashore. On Brodie being lifted on the
rocky shore, he was quickly stripped.
Brandy was poured in small quantities
on his temples. while he was rubbed
and chafed, but he was insensible, and
BLOOD OOZED FROM HIS MOUTH,
nose and ears, probably from the shock
or conclusion. For twenty minutes
Brodie lay until ammonia was applied
to his nostrils, and he began to shiver
and gesticulate with his hands. He
gradually recovered consciousness, and
it was then found that his injuries were
not serious. He expects to be able to
go to New York tomorrow. In de-
scribing his experience, Brodie says
that after he entered the river,
he weakened and would have given
anything in the world if he could have
reached terra firma once more. He at
tempted to get ashore by using his pad
dies, when the swift current swept HIM
back and turned his feet towards the
brink of the cataract. When he saw
that it was impossible to get out, he felt
the same as a man that was to meet
death, and prayed for dear life. Just as
he came to the brink OF the falls, he be-
came unconscious through fright, and
renamed so until he struck the water,
churned into foam, at the base of the
falls, when he was temporarily brought
to by the force with which he struck
the water. Then he again lost con-
sciousness and knew no more until he
found himself lying on his rubber suit
at the waters edge. There is no doubt
that BrOdie successfully went over the
falls.
NIAGARA FALLS, N. Y. Sept. -
Chief McDougall, of the Ontario police,
arrested Brodie at the Grand Truk sta
ton this afternoon as he was about to
take the train for New York. He is
charged with attempting suicide by go
ing over the falls this morning.
He was taken before Police Magis-
trate Hall, and the charge read to him.
Brodie said he did not attempt to COM
NIT suicide by going over the falls, but
to show the world that the trip could be
made. and also the usefulness of his rub
Der suit for life saving. The magistrate
said he did not believe Brodie went
over. and the story was humbug. He
told Brodie that if ne did not go over to
say so, and he would discharge him, or
If he persisted in saying he went over
he would go on with the charge against
him of attempting suicide.
''If I tell you 1 did not go over,'' said
Brodie, will you let me Off
Justice Hall said Yes"
Brodie said s.Well, did not 90 over, and 7
Hold on said the magistrate, 'I'm NOT
through with YOU yet" He then wrote the
following declaration, and asked Brodie to
II, Stephen Brodie, hereby declare that I
did not go over Niagara Falls; and the story
of having gone over was all for the purpose
of a speculation and untrue"
Brodie asked if that was an oath. The JUS
tice replied yes, and Brodie said: II cannot
perjure myself. am Catholic, and cannot
sign that"
The magistrate then told him he
would have to commence prosecution.
Brodie asked for counsel. and Alex
ander Fraser was summoned to watch
his case. After testimony by Police
Superintendent McDougall and others
that Brodie had told them he had gone
over the falls, Louis Ledger, who was
said to have rescued Brodie, was put on
the stand. He said he was not at the
falls with Brodie and the newspaper
men. They told him the story about
going over at the hotel. No one could
be found who saw Brodie go over the
falls, and the magistrate bound him
over in $500 bonds to keep the laws or
the dominion, especially that of not at
tempting to go over the falls, for one
year. Brodie furnished bail and left
for the American side. Harding.
JerOld and Mccarthy, of New York,
who accompanied Brodie, escaped to
the American side when they heard Of
Brodie's arrest and were not present at
the examination.