The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1893-06-20
HAGGERTYS GOOD JUMP.
Swan Ashore After Leapins OH the
Brooklyn Bridge.
AWFUL RISK FOR A PINT OF BEER
Jumped From the Same Place That Sum
days Suicide Did-The Man Was
Drunk and Was Not Hurt q Bit Glad
That He IL an Irishman.


New YoRK, June 20.-A typical Cherry
Hill tough. John j. Haggerty by name,
who has passed his life in the Fourth
ward barrooms and the East river docks
jumped from the Brooklyn bridge to th'
river on the wager Of u pint Of beer. He
was not injured in the slightest way.
Haggerty was drunk when he accom-.
plished the feat and was In the same con
dition when he landed in the Oak Street
Police Station few minutes after his
great leap.
Haggerty IL short thickset fellow o
20 years, whose pugDacious ways have
won him the soubriquet In Cherry Hill
society Of "Jack. the Dog" He has
wife and child, and by trade is plumber
Haggerty was drunk Sunday afternoon.
With few of his cronies he began to talk
about Steve Brodie.
"Brodie's no good;' said Haggerty.
''He done great deal more than yor
ever did. He jumped of the Brooklyn
Bridge, understand" said Sullivan, one
Of the gang.
That's nothing. I'll do that for adrink
of beer" said Haggerty.
"Betcher a pint of beer you don't
said Sullivan. and Haggerty took the bet.
The two with another friend then ad-
journed to neighboring bar-room to dis
cuss the bet and have some beer.
As a result, Haggerty was arraigned In
the Tombs police court yesterday
morning charged with being drunk ane
disorderly. He was released, however,
and when he came out Of the court room
he found his two friends Sullivan and "a
man named Canty. awaiting him. They
reminded him of his bet, and straightway
the party went to the Brooklyn Bridge, stop
ping on the way occasionally to have beer.
When they reached the bridge the party
were in q fairly advanced stage OF intoxi.
cation
Haggsrty told his friends to 60 down to
the dock and watch him jump from the
bridge This they did. 1t was just
o'clock when Haggerty jumped aboard a
truck crossing on the south roadway OF
the bridge. He rode to the first tower
where he jumped of and ran for about lOl
feet He tore Of his trousers and coat anc
threw them in the river He then climbed
upon the railing, clasped his hands ovei
his head, and threw himself into space.
He struck the water rs straight as
wedge and sank out OF sight. In less than
a minute he reappeared and struck ou'
vigorously for the New York shore.
Word OF the mans act had been tele-
phoned to the New York end of the bridge
and a policeman was sent down to the
dock. to arrest him. The policeman found
Haggerty swimming about the dock when
be arrived at the pier. He soon had him
out of the water. and took him at once tc
the Oak street Police Station. Haggerty
talked rather nationally when taken out
of the water, although 1t could be easily
seen he was under the influence OF liquor.
Haggerty was not at all disturbed when
put under arrest.
whats this fort" he asked.
''Did you want to commit suicidef
asked che policemen.
''Suicide! OF course not
"What did you want to jump for thenf
"Oh, don't you think / can jumI
bridgesr he exclaimed. He was taken tc
the station, and a large crowd followed
him There he was examined by the po
lice sergeant He said his name was Johu
Joseph Haggerty, and that he was 2.
years old on the 9Th OF this month.
'Where were you bornf' was asked.
'In Kerry, and thank God for it,"
"What's your trader
'Pm plumber.
"a bummerf' asked policeman.
"No, amt no hummer. I'm married
and the father of youngster> You cat
bee he's boy"
BY this time the mans sister, Maria,
his brother, James. and his old mother
had arrived, and they all began to cry,
Some Of the women in the crowd outside
began to cry in sympathy.
Haggerty talked freely. He was asked
il he had jumped because the man who
had jumped Sunday had been killed. He
said he had not even heard that the mar
had jumped.
"Did you jump for money! was asked.
'Of course not"
"What did you do 1t forf'
'Oh, don't you think / can JUMP
bridges. I'm an expert, am. I've
jumped higher bridges than that. Why,
seven years ago jumped from the Bata-
via bridge up the State. Why, 1 didn't
think they would arrest me. / didn't
want to commit suicide. Why, don't you
think Pm an expert swimmerl IL / had
thought they would arrest me I'd have
swan over to Brooklyn. l could do II
easy"
''How did IL feel when you were going
down through the airr
Il went down like a feather. 1t didn't
feel like anything at all"
'Did 1t hurt when you struck the
waterp
''Of course not / went under and then
came up like feather. 1t didn't feel like
anything at all"
Sundays suicide was the first one from
the bridge I'm some time. Haggerty
jumped at almost the very spot that Null
renin jumped. Mulrenin struck on the tor
of the Clyde line pier.
Mulrenin was the first man who had
jumped from the bridge in several months.
His body was still unclaimed In the morgut
this morning and unless IL is claimed soop
IL will be inferred In Potter's field.
Estate 80 Pswtucket avenue,
Consisting Of 2s-story house and lot. will be sold
~ noon tomorrow. on the premses. by Auctioneer